MESENTERIC NEUROFIBROMA IN VON RECKLINGHAUSENS DISEASE

The authors report the case of a 6-year-old boy admitted for surgical removal of a 5- x 4-cm neurofibroma over the left wrist. On routine cl inical examination a mobile, firm, nodular, central abdominal mass was discovered, At laparotomy a tumor (measuring 7 x 5 x 3 cm) arising fr om the ileal mesentery was found. Complete excision of the mass togeth er with a segment of ileum, followed by end-to-end bowel anastomosis w as performed. Histological examination showed that the main elements o f the mass consisted of wavy, long-spindled cells that crossed irregul arly (pallisading negative). Special stains and immunocytochemistry fo r S-100 protein confirmed the mass to be a neurofibroma of the mesente ry. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and no signs of recurrence or fresh tumor have been recognized in the 4 years since h is operation. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company