Primary seromucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the mesentery

A 72-year-old woman presented with a slow growing mass on the left side of the abdomen, which was found to originate from the mesentery of the descending colon. Histopathology revealed a seromucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the mesentery, a rare clinical entity occurring most often in females. There are only 20 cases reported in the literature. It is postulated that these tumours develop as a result of serous or mucinous metaplasia of pre-existing coelomic mesothelium. Surgical excision remains the mainstay of successful management.