Umbilical Hernia Containing Appendicitis

Umbilical hernia is a common cause for patient presentation to the surgeon, often on a nonemergent basis for a bulge at or lateral to the umbilicus but occasionally under emergency circumstances for pain or bowel obstruction when the hernia contents become incarcerated or strangulated. Risk factors for umbilical hernia include female gender, obesity, and ascites. A defect in the abdominal wall fascia at the umbilicus allows the preperitoneal adipose tissue, omentum, or small or large bowel to protrude through the defect. Rarely described is herniation of the appendix through an umbilical hernia, though appendix-containing femoral hernia (de Garengeot hernia) and appendix-containing inguinal hernia (Amyand hernia) are more common. There are 10 available case reports in the medical literature that describe an appendix-containing umbilical hernia; in this case report, we present the 11th case report of appendicitis within an umbilical hernia.