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Robot-assisted Total Mesorectal Excision and Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Locally Advanced Middle-low Rectal Cancer

Robot-assisted Total Mesorectal Excision and Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Locally Advanced Middle-low Rectal Cancer

Published on: February 12, 2022

Retrorectal tumors.

Kelli Bullard Dunn¹

¹Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. kelli.bullarddunn@roswellpark.org

The Surgical Clinics of North America

|January 30, 2010

Summary

Retrorectal tumors, rare growths in the presacral space, are diverse and can be benign or malignant. Diagnosis and treatment are challenging, often requiring surgical resection for most retrorectal lesions.

Area of Science:

Oncology
Surgical Pathology
Embryology

Background:

Retrorectal (presacral) tumors are uncommon and present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
The retrorectal space harbors diverse embryologic remnants, leading to heterogeneous tumor types.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the classification, diagnosis, and management of retrorectal tumors.
To highlight the heterogeneity and potential for malignancy in these rare neoplasms.

Main Methods:

Literature review of retrorectal tumors.
Classification of lesions based on origin (congenital, neurogenic, osseous, inflammatory, miscellaneous).

Main Results:

Most retrorectal lesions are benign, but malignant neoplasms occur.

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Tumors are classified into five main categories based on tissue of origin.

Conclusions:

Retrorectal tumors are a heterogeneous group requiring careful diagnosis.
Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality for most identified retrorectal lesions.