Mesenteric dermoid cyst in a child

If a pediatric abdominal mass is not organomegaly or colonic stool, narrowing the diagnostic possibilities may be difficult, especially in resource-poor areas where ancillary tests and treatment options may be limited. A 2-year-old girl was brought to the rural Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Ghana with a freely moveable, non-tender abdominal mass. A huge mesenteric dermoid cyst was surgically removed. Mesenteric cysts are rare intra-abdominal lesions, most commonly occurring in children <10 years old. Making a preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Dermoid cysts (mature cystic teratoma) rarely occur in the mesentery. Poverty, family circumstances and the rural location led to general physicians doing surgery. As in this case, due to economic, social and transportation issues common throughout Africa, children with abdominal masses may need at least initial surgery in hospitals without dedicated pediatric surgery or even a trained surgeon.