A CASE OF LYMPHATIC CYST OF THE RETROPERITONEUM PRESENTING WITH ACUTE ABDOMEN

We experienced a case of lymphatic cyst of the retroperitoneum presenting with acute abdomen. A 5-year-old girl in an internal treatment for fever and abdominal pain at another hospital was emergently admitted to the hospital, because no symptomatic remission could be attained. Physical examination of the abdomen revealed tenderness, abdominal distention, and peritoneal sign from the periomphalic region to left lower abdomen. Abdominal plane X-ray film showed accumulation of intestinal gas, but did not reveal air-fluid level formation. Abdominal ultrasonography visualized a multilocular tumor showing a cystic echo pattern in the outside of the intestine. An emergency operation was performed with a diagnosis of acute abdomen with a retroperitoneal cyst. A 80×160×50mm tumor with smooth surface arising in the retroperitoneum in the vicinity of hilum of the spleen was found out. The tumor partially involved mesentery, but it could be excised en-block. The inner portion of the tumor was multilocular and filled with yellow mucoid material with partially solid component. Histopathologically it was lymphatic cyst.