Chylous cyst formation following laparoscopic fundoplication

A giant chylolymphatic cyst of the retroperitoneum: a case report

Chylolymphatic cysts are an extremely rare variant of mesenteric cysts and account for 7.3% of all abdominal cysts. They can develop anywhere along the mesentery of the gastrointestinal tract and present in a wide range of symptoms. A 46-year-old male presented with mild abdominal pain and intermittent claudication in his right leg for the last 2 months and a history of a retroperitoneal resection of a simple abdominal cyst 5 years ago. Abdominal ultrasound and computerized tomography showed a fluid-filled cystic lesion measuring 17 × 11 × 10 cm in the right retroperitoneum. The cyst was surgically excised, and the histopathological examination was consistent with the chylolymphatic cyst. On a 1-year follow-up, the patient is recovered with no recurrence observed. Our report presents a case of a giant retroperitoneal chylolymphatic cyst with uncommon presenting symptoms and a rare etiology.

Chylous mesenteric cyst: A diagnostic dilemma

A mesenteric cyst is defined as a cyst that is located in the mesentery of the gastrointestinal tract and may extend from the base of the mesentery into the retroperitoneum. A case report of a patient with mesenteric cyst is presented. In addition, a systematic review was performed of English language literature on chylous mesenteric cysts in adult humans. Of the 18 articles included in the review, there were 19 cases of chylous mesenteric cysts reported. Male to female ratio was 1.4:1 with a median age of 46 years. A preoperative diagnosis of mesenteric cyst was made in four patients based on computed tomography. All patients underwent surgery and there were no reports of recurrence on follow up. Chylous mesenteric cyst is a rare entity that needs to be recognized whenever a preliminary diagnosis of intra-abdominal cystic mass is made.

Giant mesenteric cyst

Mesenteric cysts are uncommon benign abdominal lesions with no classical clinical features. The preoperative diagnosis requires the common imaging modalities but the final diagnosis is established only during surgery or histological analysis. The treatment of choice is complete surgical excision. We report an 18-year-old female with a non-specific abdominal pain and discomfort since 3 weeks. Her CT scan showed a huge cystic swelling, which necessitated surgical exploration. Preoperatively, a giant cyst was encountered with displacement of bowel loops. The cyst was completely removed and histology report confirmed mesenteric cyst without evidence of malignancy.