Single-port laparoscopic-assisted resection for a large abdominal cystic lymphangioma: a case report

BACKGROUND: We report the case of a young woman with a large abdominal cystic lymphangioma that was successfully resected using single-port laparoscopic-assisted cystectomy. This avoided the need for a large surgical incision, as would result during conventional laparotomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old young woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of abdominal pain that had persisted for 3 days. Computed tomography revealed a 10 × 10 × 10-cm low-density area in the mid-abdomen, and magnetic resonance imaging showed a large abdominal cystic lesion. A mesenteric cyst was suspected, and single-port laparoscopic-assisted resection was performed. The cyst fluid was aspirated using a tissue adhesive, a suction tube with negative pressure, and a 16-gage over-the-needle catheter and syringe. The tumor size was reduced without any spillage of cyst fluid into the abdominal cavity. Then, the shrunken cystic tumor was successfully removed via the small wound and resected outside the abdomen. Pathological findings revealed an abdominal cystic lymphangioma derived from the greater omentum. CONCLUSIONS: Our procedure was easy to perform and required no special materials. Therefore, it could be applied to various cases, such as for abdominal cystic diseases.