Question

A 38-year-old man presents with a 2-day history of a mass and severe pain in his scrotum. Physical examination reveals that his right testicle appears much larger than his left. On palpation, you note a small hole in his inguinal canal, and you are unable to place the contents into the canal. The contents of the hernia appear ischemic. What is the best description of this hernia? A. Reducible B. Irreducible C. Strangulated D. Incarcerated

Answer 1

The best description of this hernia would be a strangulated hernia.

Strangulation in this context means that the contents of the hernia are no longer able to be reduced into the inguinal canal, and the contents are now ischemic. This indicates a possible loss of blood flow to the tissue, which can cause tissue necrosis and loss of function if not treated promptly. In this case since the contents are unable to be placed back into the inguinal canal, and appear ischemic, it is likely a strangulated hernia.