Inguinal canal
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| inguinal canal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal. (Inguinal canal is tube at lower left.) | |
 | |
| The scrotum. On the left side the cavity of the tunica vaginalis has been opened; on the right side only the layers superficial to the Cremaster have been removed. (Right inguinal canal visible at upper left.) | |
| Latin | canalis inguinalis |
| Gray's | subject #258 1239 |
| MeSH | Inguinal+Canal |
The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior (toward the front of the body) abdominal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in women the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men.
Site
The inguinal canal is situated just above the medial half of the inguinal ligament.
Length
Approximately 1.5 inches.
Direction
It is directed downwards, forwards and medially.
Boundaries
| superior wall (roof): internal oblique transversus abdominis | ||
| anterior wall: aponeurosis of external oblique aponeurosis of internal oblique | (inguinal canal) | posterior wall: transversalis fascia conjoint tendon |
| inferior wall (floor): inguinal ligament lacunar ligament |
One way to remember these structures is with the mnemonic "MALT", starting at the top and going counterclockwise:
- M - muscles
- A - aponeuroses
- L - ligaments
- T - transversalis/tendon
Contents
- in males : the spermatic cord and its coverings + the ilio inguinal nerve.
- in females : the round ligament of the uterus + the ilio inguinal nerve.
Development
During development in men the testes descend from their starting point near the kidneys down the abdomen and through the inguinal canal to reach the scrotum.
Disorders
Abdominal contents (potentially including intestine) can be abnormally displaced from the abdominal cavity. Where these contents exit through the inguinal canal the condition is known as an indirect inguinal hernia. This condition is far more common in men than in women, owing to the inguinal canal's small size in women. A hernia that exits the abdominal cavity directly through the deep layers of the abdominal wall, thereby bypassing the inguinal canal, is known as a direct inguinal hernia.
Additional images
 The spermatic cord in the inguinal canal. |
See also
External links
- SUNY Labs 36:01-0102
- Atlas of anatomy at UMich abdo_wall63 - "The Male & Female Inguinal Canal"
- Diagram at nurseminerva.co.ukde:Leistenkanal
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
