Mesenteric cystic lymphangioma in an adolescent male; a diagnostic dilemma: A case report

Hemolymphangioma, a rare type of lymphangioma, is a benign hamartoma of the blood vessels and lymphatic system. Considered to be extremely rare among adults with infrequent occurrence in abdominal regions, lymphangioma involving mesentery accounts for <1 % of cases and only 0.05 % involve the GI tract. Due to the absence of typical clinical presentation, making a confirmatory preoperative diagnosis is challenging.

An 18-year-old Bangladeshi man visited the hospital with the complaints of epigastric and umbilical pain for 15 days which was insidious in onset. Physical examination revealed an ill defined lump that was palpable on the right side of the abdomen. Ultrasonography showed multiloculated cystic mass having septation approximately 13 × 6 cm in size. An abdominal CT scan showed cystic lesion with septations measuring about 14.5 × 12.3 cm, compressing the bowel loops towards left, that was suggestive of mesenteric lymphangioma. The patient underwent partial surgical resection. The excised mass was sent for histopathology. Histopathology disclosed a benign tumor composed of proliferation of blood vessels of different sizes lined by endothelium in a fibromuscular stroma.

Mesenteric lymphangiomas are infrequent malformations and very few cases of mesenteric hemolymphangioma have been reported in adults. Histopathology is required for confirmatory diagnosis and immunohistochemistry is required to differentiate the tumor subtype. Surgical resection is deemed a standard treatment modality.

We report an extremely rare case of mesenteric hemolymphangioma to bring it to concern that even with the vague clinical presentations and involvement of age groups beyond the status quo, surgeons must be vigilant about abdominal MCL/hemolymphangioma and proceed accordingly.