A swelling in pubic area

[curiousmichael]

I couldn’t really decide whether the dermatology or the urology forum was the appropriate place for this query.  So I’ve come here because “d” comes before “u.” Almost seven years ago, walking down some stairs, I missed a step and felt a strain in my groin.  A week or so later, while showering, I noticed a swelling or lump in the left side of my groin, above the crease which divides thigh from abdomen, the pubic area.   Naturally, noticing a lump or swelling provoked concern.  But that concern quickly lessened when I saw that this swelling seemed to “disappear” overnight.  That is, when I awoke there was no swelling, no lump,the left and right pubic areas were symmetrical.  But within a few minutes of standing the swelling would appear.  It’s been there for almost seven years now.  There’s no pain, it doesn’t bother me in any way.  It’s just there.  My amateur online sleuthing led me to believe this was probably an inguinal hernia.  Further sleuthing made me think this was a “direct” hernia.  Even more sleuthing led me to contradictory advice.  Some professionals said such a hernia needed to be remedied surgically.  Others claimed that if a direct inguinal hernia presented no other problems it could be ignored.  I’ve never had surgery, and would like to keep the integrity of my skin-wrapped body intact for as long as possible.  My questions: does this sound like what I concluded it was likely to be?   And, if so, what, if anything should I do about it?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It does sound like an inguinal hernia.  You ought to consult a general surgeon.  Hernias can cause problems if left untreated.  A surgeon can tell you whether yours poses such a risk and advise you about whether to have it operated on.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff