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When doctors dug into a man’s hip to repair a benign tumor, they unexpectedly discovered a live, 26-centimeter-long worm inside his stomach. In addition to the surprise, the man told the surgeons that this actually happened to him before, according to A case report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
A 71-year-old man opted for surgery to repair the tumor, which was an inguinal tumor. These types are very common, especially in older men, and occur when small amounts of abdominal material, such as fat or small intestine, pass through a gap or weakness in the muscles and tissues of the abdominal wall. This discharge from the body causes discharge which, at times, is painful and unpleasant. If the contents get stuck and pinched, it can cause a life-threatening condition called a strangulated hernia. But, in some cases, the escaping pulp is painless and loose and can be restored temporarily with gentle massage.
Most people with inguinal hernias need surgery at some point to close their weakened abdominal wall. But, for older men who don’t have any pain or discomfort, doctors may recommend a watchful wait, delaying surgery until the need is clearly understood. This is how it was for the man. But he chose to repair the inguinal hernia, which was on his right side.
