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Allantoic remnants presenting as a giant retroperitoneal cyst

S Antic1, J Petrovic, G Barisic

  • 1First Surgical Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade.

Acta Chirurgica Iugoslavica
|November 30, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Urachal anomalies are rare in adults, typically presenting as infected cysts. This case highlights a giant urachal retroperitoneal cyst discovered incidentally in a young man.

Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Surgical Pathology

Background:

  • Urachal anomalies are congenital malformations of the urachus, a remnant of the allantois.
  • Common urachal anomalies include patent ductus urachus, urachal cyst, umbilical-urachal sinus, and vesicourachal diverticulum.
  • These anomalies are predominantly diagnosed in early childhood.

Observation:

  • Urachal anomalies are exceptionally rare in adults.
  • When diagnosed in adults, they often manifest as infected urachal cysts.
  • A case of a giant urachal retroperitoneal cyst was incidentally found in a 22-year-old male during an abdominal ultrasound.

Findings:

  • The patient presented for evaluation of idiopathic hypertension.
  • An abdominal ultrasound revealed an incidental giant urachal retroperitoneal cyst.
  • The cyst was surgically removed.

Implications:

  • This case expands the spectrum of urachal anomalies in adults.
  • It underscores the importance of considering urachal pathology in adult patients, even with incidental findings.
  • Giant urachal cysts, though rare, can occur in young adults and may be asymptomatic or incidentally discovered.

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