Abstract

BACKGROUND: Round ligament varices (RLV) are rare and are almost exclusively seen in pregnant women. RLV may clinically resemble an inguinal hernia, inguinal mass, or other pathology involving the inguinal canal and round ligament. Ultrasound imaging is important to make the diagnosis of RLV.

CASE REPORT: A 34-year-old Hispanic woman, gravida 1 para 0, at 34 weeks gestation, presented to our outpatient department with a complaint of a small, painless, reducible right inguinal mass. Gray-scale sonography showed an asymmetric right inguinal anechoic mass composed of multiple serpentine tubular channels, which became more prominent when the patient performed a Valsalva maneuver. Color Doppler ultrasound imaging showed a hyper vascular structure with a venous flow pattern, consistent with RLV. The patient was treated conservatively and had an uneventful vaginal delivery at 38 weeks gestation. At two weeks postpartum, the RLV spontaneously regressed and her symptoms completely resolved.

CONCLUSIONS: RLV is a rare condition that should be recognized and diagnosed promptly to prevent patients from undergoing unnecessary surgical exploration. Ultrasound is the diagnostic imaging procedure of choice for the diagnosis of RLV, as well as for patient follow-up and to exclude possible complications associated with RLV.

Keywords: Inguinal Canal, Pregnant Women, Round Ligament, Ultrasonography, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color