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Abdominal lymphangiomas in adults.
J Geoff Allen1, Taylor Sohn Riall, John L Cameron
1Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Summary
Abdominal lymphangiomas are rare cystic tumors. Complete surgical resection offers excellent outcomes with no recurrence in adult patients.
Area of Science:
- Surgical oncology
- Abdominal imaging
- Pathology
Background:
- Abdominal lymphangiomas are rare, benign cystic neoplasms.
- They can present with variable symptoms and may become locally invasive.
- Surgical resection is often necessary for diagnosis and treatment.
Observation:
- A retrospective review identified six adult patients with abdominal lymphangiomas treated between 1986 and 2004.
- Patients ranged from 38 to 66 years old with diverse clinical presentations.
- CT scans revealed cystic lesions, but preoperative diagnosis was infrequent (one-third of cases).
Findings:
- Tumors were located in the retroperitoneum, mesentery, liver, and pancreas.
- Five of six tumors were completely resected; two required adjacent organ resection.
- All patients experienced symptomatic relief post-resection with no observed recurrence during follow-up (6 months to 18 years).
Implications:
- Abdominal lymphangiomas pose diagnostic challenges, often requiring surgical confirmation.
- Complete surgical resection is the primary treatment modality.
- Successful resection leads to excellent long-term prognoses without recurrence.