Histopathological Findings in Hernia Sacs: A Clinical and Pathological Review

Routine histopathological examination of hernia sac in adults remains a controversial topic. We undertook a retrospective study to assess possible clinical benefits of pathological examination of hernia sac specimens. Our pathology database between 1992 and 2020 was searched for adult specimens submitted as hernia sac. The clinical and pathological data of patients with abnormal histopathological findings were reviewed. There were 5424 hernia sac specimens (3722 inguinal, 1625 umbilical, and 77 femoral), 32/5424 (0.59%) with malignancies (28 epithelial and 4 lymphoid) and 25/32 were located in the umbilical region. Twelve out of twenty-five malignancies (48%) presented as primary clinical manifestations of the diseases (5 GI tract carcinomas, 5 gynecological tract carcinomas, and 2 lymphoid neoplasms); and 13/25 (52%) specimens were involved by previously known tumors (8 gynecological carcinomas, 3 colon carcinomas, 1 breast carcinoma, and 1 lymphoma). Among the 7 inguinal hernia sacs with malignancies, 3 (42.9%) were primary presentations of the tumors (2 prostatic carcinomas, 1 pancreatic carcinoma), and 4 (57.1%) were previously known tumors (2 ovarian carcinomas, 1 colon carcinoma, 1 lymphoid). Benign lesions were 12/5424 (0.22%), including 7 adrenal rests, 4 endometriosis, and 1 inguinal sarcoidosis. The incidence of hernia sacs with malignancies was 32/5424 (0.59%), most commonly from nearby organs in gynecological tract. However distant metastases from breast were also present. Near half of the hernia sac with malignancies (15/32, 47%) presented as the first clinical manifestation. Routine histopathological examination of hernia sac in adults is recommended, since it may provide important clinical information.