Abstract
We report 2 cases of anisakiasis protruding into the inguinal hernia sac. Case 1: A 9-year-old boy diagnosed as having right inguinal hernia was operated. During the operation, we found a granuloma covered with the greater omentum in the hernia sac. Histopathologically, the granuloma was eosinophilic with particles that appear like parasites. An additional serological assay, namely, microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a monoclonal antibody specific for anisakis antigens, finally led to the diagnosis of anisakiasis. Case 2: A 2-year-old boy complained of right inguinal swelling. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass protruding in the right inguinal hernia sac. We operated on him for the inguinal hernia and extracted the mass. An eosinophilic granuloma covered with the greater omentum, which had a living body similar to anisakis, was detected histopathologically. A serological assay led to the diagnosis of anisakiasis. An anisakiasis protruding into the inguinal hernia sac is rare. If we cannot find a living body in the mass, it is useful for diagnosis if we consider together the patient’s history and findings of histopathological and serological assays.
