Laparoscopic resection of a mesenteric cyst

Mesenteric cysts are rare intra-abdominal tumors with an incidence around one case per 100,000 hospital admissions. The clinical presentation is variable; patients may be asymptomatic or present with either acute or chronic abdominal pain. Physical examination commonly demonstrates a smooth, round and mobile abdominal mass. Differential diagnosis includes any abdominal cyst or tumor. Laboratory tests are usually helpless. Ultrasonography and CT scans are the best diagnostic tools. The treatment of choice is the total resection of the cyst, which is regularly performed by open surgery. This paper reports a case of a mesenteric cyst successfully resected by laparoscopy, and addresses the possible uses of this approach.