Retroperitoneoscopic excision of a mesenteric cyst

Mesenteric cysts are rare intra-abdominal lesions. We present a case of a mesenteric cyst that was discovered by abdominal computed tomography (CT) and excised by retroperitoneoscopic surgery. There have been 10 reports of excision of mesenteric cysts by laparoscopy in the literature, but retroperitoneoscopic resection of such cysts has not been reported. This case suggests that when a mesenteric cyst arises from the ascending or descending colon, the retroperitoneal approach has a lower risk of traumatizing the bowel than does the laparoscopic intra-abdominal approach, and it does not have to compress other intra-abdominal organs.