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Omental liposarcoma presenting as chronic constipation
Jimmy L Hightower1, Daniel J Dire
1From the *Department of Emergency Medicine, The San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium; and †Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX.
Insights
A rare myxoid liposarcoma presented as chronic constipation and abdominal pain in an 11-year-old boy. This pediatric abdominal mass is an unusual cause of prolonged constipation symptoms requiring emergency department evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Emergency Medicine
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Constipation is a frequent reason for pediatric abdominal pain presentations in emergency departments.
- Chronic constipation can significantly impact a child's quality of life and warrants thorough investigation.
Observation:
- An 11-year-old boy presented with a four-month history of chronic constipation and abdominal pain.
- Physical examination revealed a large abdominal mass.
Findings:
- The abdominal mass was diagnosed as a myxoid liposarcoma.
- Literature review found no prior reports of this specific tumor type presenting as chronic constipation in pediatric emergency settings.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering rare diagnoses in pediatric abdominal pain, even with seemingly common symptoms.
- Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for underlying masses in cases of persistent pediatric constipation.
- Further research into unusual presentations of pediatric tumors is warranted.
Abstract:
Constipation is a common cause of pediatric abdominal pain seen in pediatric emergency departments (EDs). We present the case of an 11-year-old boy with a 4-month history of chronic constipation and abdominal pain who presented to the children's ED. He was found to have a large abdominal mass that was determined to be a myxoid liposarcoma. An extensive review of the medical literature did not reveal any previous cases of this type of tumor presenting to the ED as chronic constipation.
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