Lymphangioma is a malformation composed of a mass of dilated lymph vessels typically found in the cervical region in children. Mediastinal lymphangioma is a rare condition and accounts for 0.01% to 4.5% of all mediastinal tumors. Only 4 cases of mediastinal lymphangioma involving the heart and great vessels in adults have been described in the available literature. Extremely rarely, lymphangiomas occur as a generalized lymphangiomatosis. We present a case of a woman who coughed up small amounts of fresh blood during 6 months and showed signs of cardiac failure. Several years previously, the patient underwent surgical removal of cystic lymphangiomas from the left ovary, both fallopian tubes and small intestine. A chest radiograph showed an 8-cm round shadow located in the middle lobe. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of the chest with contrast verified the existence of a cyst in the anterior mediastinum. The radiologist suggested that the cyst could have originated in the pericardium. One small cyst also appeared in the projection of the left cardiophrenic sinus. A CT scan with contrast of the patient’s abdomen showed multiple cystic formations in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and left parapelvic region. A fine-needle biopsy of the mediastinal tumor verified the cystic lymphangioma, which was then completely removed surgically. A pathohistological examination confirmed the existence of cystic lymphangioma. The patient was discharged after a period of recovery.
Omental cysts are the least common cystic lesions of the abdomen. Large intraabdominal cysts can mimic ascites. The incidence of 1 in 20000 pediatric hospital admissions makes them hard to diagnose. We report a three year-old boy with accidentally discovered intraperitoneal fluid collection on ultrasonography. The patient was scheduled for operative treatment with working diagnosis of ascites, but finding of no fluid in Morison’s pouch brought to massive cystic intraabdominal lesion as differential diagnosis. The cyst was emptied; altered parts of the greater omentum were completely excised. Final pathology confirmed lymphangioma. Explorative laparotomy led to correct diagnosis and proper surgical treatment.
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