INTRAABDOMINAL LYMPHANGIOMA AND MESENTERI C CYSTS CAUSING ABDOMINAL-PAIN

Although intra-abdominal lymphangioma and mesenteric cysts are rare be nign tumours, they have to be considerated in the differential diagnos is of abdominal pain. Differentiation of these lesions is important, b ecause lymphangiomas may follow a proliferative and invasive course. F rom 1979 to 1993 four patients with intra-abdominal cystic lymphangiom as and two with mesenteric cysts underwent operations in our surgical department. Five of these six patients had abdominal symptoms, ranging from unspecific abdominal pain to acute clinical abdomen. In all case s surgical enucleation or resection and histological classification we re necessary before final diagnosis was possible.