[THE USE OF CT-GUIDED MARKING FOR THE LAPAROSCOPIC RESECTION OF A SOLITARY RETROPERITONEAL TUMOR]

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Urologic Surgery

Background:

• Preoperative marking techniques are crucial for resecting small or irregularly margined tumors.
• CT-guided marking is standard in pulmonary surgery but less common in abdominal/urological surgery.
• Ultrasound is often insufficient for detecting small, deep-seated tumors.

Observation:

• A 63-year-old woman with recurrent endometrial stromal sarcoma developed a 1 cm tumor near the right psoas muscle.
• The tumor was undetectable by ultrasound, necessitating advanced imaging for localization.
• The patient had a history of uterine stromal sarcoma and prior retroperitoneal tumor resection.

Findings:

• Preoperative CT-guided marking successfully localized the small recurrent tumor.
• Laparoscopic resection of the retroperitoneal tumor was performed the day after marking.
• Histopathological analysis confirmed the recurrence as endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Implications:

• CT-guided marking can be a valuable tool for laparoscopic resection of small, elusive abdominal and urological tumors.
• This technique improves surgical planning and accuracy in challenging cases.
• It expands the utility of CT guidance beyond thoracic surgery into other surgical specialties.