Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farima Kahe M.D. [2]
Overview
Differentiating inguinal hernia from other Diseases
- Inguinal hernia must be differentiated testicular torsion, epididymitis, hydrocele, varicocele, spermatocele, epididymal cyst and testicular tumor.
Preferred Table
| Diseases
|
Clinical features
|
Imagings
|
| Swelling
|
Pain
|
Mass
|
Inguinal or scrotal
|
| Testicular torsion
|
+
|
+
|
+
|
Scrotal
|
Doppler ultrasonography:
enlargement, decreased echogenicity, and absent flow
|
| Epididymitis
|
+/-
|
+
|
-
|
Scrotal
|
| Doppler ultrasonography:
enlarged (>17 mm) epididymis with a hypoechoic, hyperechoic, or heterogeneous echotexture, increased blood flow
|
|
| Hydrocele
|
+
|
-
|
-
|
Inguinal
|
|
| Varicocele
|
+/-
|
+/-
|
+/-
|
Inguinal
|
|
| Spermatocele
|
+
|
-
|
|
Inguinal
|
|
| Testicular tumor
|
+/-
|
+/-
|
+
|
Inguinal
|
|
| Epididymal cyst
|
-
|
+/-
|
+/-
|
Inguinal
|
|
Use if the above table can not be made
|
|
| Differential Diagnosis
|
Similar Features
|
Differentiating Features
|
|---|
| Differential 1
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
|
| Differential 2
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
|
| Differential 3
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
|
| Differential 4
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
|
| Differential 5
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].
|
- On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
|