MESENTERIC PSEUDOCYST OF THE SMALL BOWEL: CASE REPORT

Faten Limaiem* and Saâdia Bouraoui

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Mesenteric pseudocysts are rare types of mesenteric cysts, which are often asymptomatic and found incidentally on imaging or during an unrelated surgery. Case report: A 40-year-old man consulted for intermittent abdominal pain for the past four months. Physical examination found discreet abdominal tenderness with no palpable mass. Computed tomography showed a hypodense unilocular mesenteric cyst measuring 6 cm in diameter. The patient had an excision of the small intestine and cystic formation of the mesentery. On cut section, the mesenteric cyst contained a white clayish material. Histological examination of the samples taken from the cystic formation showed a fibrous and inflammatory cystic wall devoid of epithelial lining. The final pathological diagnosis was that of a mesenteric pseudocyst. Conclusion: Mesenteric pseudocysts are difficult to diagnose due to the lack of specific clinical, laboratory and imaging findings. Only histopathological examination of the surgical specimen establishes the correct diagnosis. Despite their rarity, mesenteric pseudocysts must be considered in the differential diagnosis of intra-abdominal masses.

Keywords: Pseudocyst, mesentery, small bowel, surgery, pathology.