A rare presentation of mesenteric cyst as persistent ascites: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mesenteric cysts have been typically described as cystic lesions of mesentery or omentum occurring either intra-abdominally or in the retroperitoneum. With no typical symptoms, the preoperative diagnosis of mesenteric cyst becomes challenging to establish. PATIENT AND METHODS: In this case report, we describe the case of a 29-year-old female who presented with abdominal distension for seven years associated with intermittent constipation. Following complete history, a meticulous physical examination was performed. Laboratory investigations and radiological imaging techniques were used to facilitate the diagnosis which was confirmed on laparotomy. RESULTS: Physical examination revealed abdominal ascites. Laboratory investigations were unremarkable. Abdominal ultrasound revealed multiloculated massive ascites. A well-defined cystic area 27 × 18cm displacing abdominal viscera was observed on computed tomography (abdomen and pelvis) with contrast medium. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a massive cyst involving almost the entire peritoneal cavity. On histopathology, no signs of malignancy were reported. The post-operative course was excellent, and the patient was discharged following surgery. CONCLUSION: As this lesion is rarely considered preoperatively, and the clinical manifestations can be non-specific, we report this case of mesenteric cyst mimicking ascites in order to inform improved decision making among healthcare professionals regarding the timely diagnosis and appropriate management.

An accidental finding of a giant intra-abdominal mass.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenteric cysts are rare intra-abdominal tumours often found incidentally on imaging studies or during surgery. The clinical presentation is various with most subjects being asymptomatic, but complications can occur such as torsion, rupture, hemorrhage or obstruction of nearby structures. The etiology of mesenteric cysts remains uncertain. Complete surgical resection is preferred, although there are no specific guidelines concerning optimal treatment strategy. CASE REPORT: We present a 61-year-old male with type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent a routine abdominal ultrasound examination which accidentally uncovered a large mass. The patient had no complaints nor any physical discomfort. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed a giant thin-walled cyst with multiple septa spanning 24 × 24 cm2 originating from the mesentery. The primary differential diagnosis included a mesenteric cyst, a hydatid cyst due to echinococcus or malignancy. After multidisciplinary team approach, open surgical exploration was preferred. Surgical drainage and cyst sac resection were performed without any peri- or postoperative complications. Histopathology confirmed the presence of a large mesenteric cyst, probably caused post-traumatically. The patient has made a full recovery. CONCLUSION: Mesenteric cysts can develop asymptomatically and reach enormous proportions. They are often found accidentally. Imaging studies aid in the differential diagnosis, but histopathology remains the diagnostic gold standard. Surgical resection prevails compared to a conservative approach due to the risk of complications. The choice between open or laparoscopic surgery should be determined based on the perioperative risk.

[Surgical treatment of mesenteric cyst of small bowel]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie kisty bryzheiki tonkoi kishki.

A rare case of surgical treatment of mesenteric cyst of the small bowel is described. The diagnosis was confirmed by irrigography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen. The patient underwent small bowel and mesentery resection with subsequent entero-enteroanastomosis. Postoperative period was uneventful. This case confirms advisability of total en-bloc excision of the cyst via resection of intact mesentery and small bowel segment. Literature data indicate that the only treatment method for mesenteric cysts is surgery.

Trifoliate mesenteric lymphatic malformation.

Mesenteric lymphatic malformations are rare lesions and its diagnosis can cause dilemma in spite of imaging studies. A laparotomy revealed this diagnosis in a five-year-old child who presented with abdominal pain.

Acute appendicitis revealing a giant mesenteric pseudocyst: case report.

Mesenteric pseuodycst is a very rare benign childhood tumor, accounting for less than 1 out of 250,000 hospital admissions. We here report a case of giant mesenteric pseudocyst incidentally detected in a 11-year-old boy with acute appendicitis. He complained of persistent abdominal pain for the past 48 hours. He had a history of intermittent pain for several months. Physical examination showed fever and abdominal pain. Ultrasonography showed large peritoneal fluid related to peritonitis probably of appendicular origin. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy revealing giant abdominal mesenteric cyst and acute appendicitis. Open resection of the cyst and appendectomy were performed. The diagnosis of uncomplicated acute appendicitis associated with mesenteric pseudocyst was made. Preoperative diagnosis of pseudomesenteric cysts is a clinical challenge. Knowledge is essential and suspicion should be maintained in patients with nonspecific symptoms.

Management outcomes of mesenteric cysts in paediatric age group.

BACKGROUND: Mesenteric cysts are rare intra-abdominal masses and high index of suspicion is required to clinically suspect this pathology and make a definitive diagnosis. They are most commonly located in the ileal mesentery but can be located anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract mesentery and may extend into the retroperitoneum. The rarity of these anomalies and diversity of clinical picture pose challenges in the diagnosis and operative management. The objective of this study is to determine the demographic pattern, clinicopathological diagnosis and management outcome of mesenteric cysts in our hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on children operated for mesenteric cysts from October 2013 to September 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using Open Epi Version 3.01. RESULTS: Out of 32 children with a diagnosis of mesenteric cyst, 78% were below 5 years of age. Small intestine was affected in 26 cases and large bowel mesentery was the site of origin in six cases. Complete excision of mesenteric cyst was possible in all cases. Bowel resection was required in ten cases (31%) to enable complete excision. Bowel resection was required more often in children operated on emergency than those with elective surgery, and is statistically significant (P = 0.04; confidence interval: 0.05-0.96, odds ratio: 0.23). An uncommon co-existence with ileal atresia and detection of rare chylolymphatic cyst in another infant were also remarkable findings. Histopathology proved the diagnosis in all cases. There was no mortality or recurrence during hospitalisation and follow-up, which ranged from 3 months to 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenteric cysts present with diverse clinical features and children below 5 years of age are most commonly affected. Complete surgical excision is the optimal treatment and may require bowel resection in significant number of cases, especially those operated during emergency. Histopathology is the gold standard for diagnosis.

Clinical image. Chylolymphatic mesenteric cyst in a 3-month old infant.

Chylolymphatic mesenteric cysts are extremely rare among children. Herein we report a case of a 3-month old infant that was admitted to the Emergency Department due to repeated vomiting. Preoperative ultrasonography demonstrated the presence of a thin-walled multiloculated cystic lesion in the right abdomen. Patient underwent then elective surgical excision. Histopathological examination documented the diagnosis of cystic lymphangioma type III, according to Lozanoff classification.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Chylous Mesenteric Cysts.

Mesenteric cysts are benign congenital cysts typically discovered incidentally during abdominal explorations for other reasons. When feasible, they should be excised to prevent recurrence, bowel obstruction or volvulus, and resulting complications. We present a unique case of an infant, diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound with possible bowel obstruction, found to have micro and macro chylous mesenteric cysts. Although initially asymptomatic with normal abdominal x-ray and discharged on day of life 2, the parents were taught how to recognize symptoms of bowel obstruction. He presented at 1 month with obstructive symptoms, was confirmed to have large mesenteric cystic structures on ultrasound, and was immediately taken to the operating room. Due to the extensive number of cysts and intimate involvement of the largest cyst with the superior mesenteric artery, he was treated with partial excision and observation since resection may have resulted in short gut syndrome. Given a prenatal ultrasound suggestive of mesenteric cysts, we recommend abdominal imaging at birth with close follow-up until the appropriate time for elective resection. When disease is extensive precluding full enucleation and resection, we advocate for enucleation in combination with unroofing of as many cysts as possible followed by postoperative surveillance ultrasounds and family counseling.

Case report: horse or zebra, ascites or pseudo-ascites? Care for pictural details!

BACKGROUND: Pseudo-ascites is a very rare condition in children and remains a challenging diagnosis. Targeted imaging may be helpful, but a high index of clinical suspicion is often necessary to guide the investigations, as pseudo-ascites may efficiently mimic true ascites. To date, still many cases of pseudo-ascites suffer diagnostic and therapeutic delay, and some are only diagnosed during surgical exploration. We report the case of a patient with a late laparoscopic diagnosis of pseudo-ascites. We retrospectively review our patient's imaging findings and suggest new characteristic features which may help differentiate pseudo-ascites from true ascites. CASE PRESENTATION: A 7-month-old infant was referred for a progressive abdominal distention. Physical examination and initial ultra-sonographic findings evoked free ascites. An extensive diagnostic workup was then performed and was negative for hepatic, renal, cardiac, intestinal, pancreatic, inflammatory or infectious diseases, malignancy and congenital metabolic disorders. Pseudo-ascites was evoked and dedicated ultra-sonographic and magnetic resonance studies were repeated but could not confirm this diagnosis. Symptomatic diuretic treatment with spironolactone and furosemide was then started. A temporary and limited effect was noted but, with time, repeated paracenteses were necessary as the abdominal distention progressed causing discomfort and breathing difficulty. Last, because the patient's quality of life deteriorated, a peritoneal-venous shunting was proposed; as the operation started with a diagnostic laparoscopy, a benign giant cystic mesenteric lymphangioma was identified and totally excised. The resolution of symptoms was immediate and the patient remained symptom-free throughout the subsequent observation period that lasted more than 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness about pseudo-ascites is necessary, as the diagnosis is often overlooked, and treatment delayed. Targeted imaging may be helpful, as some specific, although not pathognomonic, features exist which may aid in the diagnosis.

[Perforated mesenteric cyst causing abdominal pain in a 12-year-old girl].

In this case report, a 12-year-old girl was admitted to hospital due to abdominal pain. An intra-abdominal mass was seen on ultrasound and initially mistaken for an ovarian cyst. Later, a CT scan was performed, and it revealed an intraperitoneal cystic mass compatible with a mesenteric cyst, which is a rare benign abdominal abnormality. The cyst was removed by laparotomy, and histology confirmed the diagnosis. The patient had no readmissions afterwards.

Enterogenous cyst of the small bowel mesentery: a case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Enterogenous cysts are a very rare congenital abnormality that can be found anywhere within the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly in the small intestine. The incidence is approximately one in 4500-10,000 live births. Diagnosis can be suggested by ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, although histological examination confirms the definitive diagnosis. PATIENTS: We present a case of enterogenous cyst in an adult female who underwent a resection of the tumour. RESULTS: After two years of observation, there is no evidence of tumour recurrence.

Laparoscopic management of giant gastrointestinal stromal tumor masquerading as infected mesenteric cyst.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common non-epithelial (mesenchymal) tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Although GISTs appear as solid and well-circumscribed lesions in most patients, they may also appear as solid- cystic (mixed) or pure cystic lesions due to reasons like intra-tumor hemorrhage and necrosis in a very small percentage of patients. Hence, cystic GISTs mostly lead to a diagnostic dilemma. In this paper we aimed to report a case of pure cystic giant GIST that was drained percutaneously twice after being misdiagnosed as a mesenteric cyst. An 83-yearold man was operated for a pre-diagnosis of a recurrent mesenteric cyst. The operation was started with the three-trocar laparoscopic technique. Six thousand milliliters of purulent fluid were drained from the cystic lesion. Then, a mini incision was performed above the umbilicus and the cyst and the distal ileal segment where it was originated were removed from the abdominal cavity. After the resection of a 15-cm ileal segment together with the cystic lesion, an intestinal anastomosis was performed. The histopathological and immunohistochemical findings showed that the mass was a GIST (size: 20 cm, mitosis: 3/50 HPF, Ki 67: %15, CD117: positive, DOG-1: positive). The patient was closely followed without imatinib therapy. KEY WORDS: Abscess, Cystic Degeneration, GIST, Mistreatment.

Infarcted accessory spleen masquerading as a mesenteric cyst.

An accessory spleen is a rare entity which is usually asymptomatic. When symptomatic, it presents as an acute abdomen, with either torsion, rupture or haemorrhage. We present the case of a 20-year-old man who presented with chronic lower abdominal pain since 3 months and a lump in the left lower quadrant. On clinical examination and investigations, the lump was diagnosed as a mesenteric cyst, and an uncomplicated laparoscopic excision was performed. The postoperative histopathological examination reported it as an infarcted accessory spleen.