Surgical correction of inguinal hernia with hysterocele and fetal maceration: case report

Abstract

Inguinal hernias form when organs move through the inguinal ring, occurring most often in middle-aged non-castred animals. The hysterocele occurs when the content present in this hernia is the uterus. The objective of this study was to report the care of an adult female dog diagnosed whit inguinal hernia whose content was the uterus with macerated fetuses inside. The animal arrived at the PUCPR Veterinary Clinic with increased volume in the abdominal region and vulvar bleeding. Physical examination showed low body score, dehydration, tachycardia, with content compatible with irreducible bone fragments and manipulation of the inguinal hernia. The diagnosis was made by amdominal radiography, which revealed the presence of two fetal structures with unstructured bone calcifications. The patient was hospitalized to stabilize the clinical condition and later underwent herniorrhaphy and ovariosalpongohisterectomy. After the surgical procedures, the patient was admitted for another 24 hours, with the medical discharged instituted after that period. The return was scheduled for 10 days after medical discharge where the surgical wound presented healing aspects without evidence of secretions. This paper demonstrates the importance of diagnosis and the mechanisms required for patient stabilization and surgical correction to achieve therapeutic success.