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the canal of nuck is analogous to a patent processus vaginalis in a male , which normally loses its communication to the peritoneal cavity within the first year of life .
there is no information about this disease in textbooks of pediatric surgery and pediatric gynecology . searching in english literature , via pub med and scopus
, we have found that so few cases have been reported that most of them are cases reports in women . in general ,
this disease called hydrocele of the canal of nuck , cyst of the canal of nuck and female hydrocele , is accepted equivalent of the spermatic cord cyst ( encysted hydrocele ) occurring in boys ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ) .
we present a rare case of a 2-year - old girl with left - sided groin swelling over a year , diagnosed as hydrocele of canal of nuck in this article , we have presented our patient suffering from cyst of the canal of nuck .
a 2-year - old girl presented to clinic with a tender palpable swelling in the left inguinal region . on detailed history ,
after usually dissection through skin , subcutaneous tissues , scarpa s fascia , and external oblique aponeurosis , the inguinal canal was exposed .
the swelling was confirmed to be an encysted hydrocele of cord with no evidence of associated inguinal hernia ( figure 1 ) .
after excision of hydrocele , the fibrous connection toward the deep inguinal ring was suture ligated and rest of the wound was closed in layers .
cyst of the canal of nuck  operative finding ( a - view from above ; b - lateral view )
although the exact process is unclear , it is generally agreed that obliteration of the processus vaginalis occurs only after the seventh month of gestation , thus accounting for the higher incidence of inguinal hernias in the premature infant . although not clearly defined , there is a known heredity factor associated with the occurrence of hernias that is more frequent in twin gestations and in infants who have a family history of hernia ( 7 ) .
swelling of the inguinal region in a female may result from a number of conditions , including inguinal hernia , tumor ( lipoma , leiomyoma , sarcoma ) , cyst , abscess , lymphadenopathy , or hydrocele of the canal of nuck ( 8) . hydrocele of the canal of nuck is an unusual diagnosis . in women ,
a round ligament is attached to the uterus close to the origin of the fallopian tubes , and the extension of the parietal peritoneum follows the round ligament as it passes to the inguinal canal through the internal ring .
this evagination of the parietal peritoneum , named the canal of nuck , is known as the female counterpart of the processus vaginalis in men .
if it remains completely patent , it forms an avenue for an indirect inguinal hernia .
partial proximal obliteration with a patent distal portion causes a cyst of the canal of nuck ( 9 ) .
the most common type is one with no communication with peritoneal cavity forming an encysted hydrocele along the tract of descent , from the inguinal ring to the vulva .
a third type is a combination of the two as a result of the inguinal ring constricting the hydrocele like a belt so that part is communicating and part is enclosed , giving this the name of hour glass type . however , any of these types of hydroceles are extremely rare in females ( 1 ) .
the differential diagnosis for an inguinal mass in a female includes indirect hernia , lymphadenopathy , cold abscess , bartholin s cyst , post - traumatic hematoma , rarely cystic lymphangioma , neuroblastoma metastasis in groin and ganglion ( 10 , 11 ) .
a hydrocele of the canal of nuck though rare should be considered in the differential diagnosis in young females presenting with an inguinal swelling .
the canal of nuck is analogous to a patent processus vaginalis in a male , which normally loses its communication to the peritoneal cavity within the first year of life . 
 failure of obliteration of this tract can result in a hydrocele . 
 we present a rare case of a 2-year - old girl with left - sided groin swelling , diagnosed as inguinal hernia . 
 patient underwent surgical exploration and establishes definitive diagnosis as cyst of the canal of nuck .