A pathologic study of abdominal lymphangiomas

Abdominal lymphangiomas are uncommon angiomatous tumor occurring mainly in childhood. This is a retrospective clinicopathologic study of 17 cases of a bdominal lymphangioma, The patients included are five children and 12 adult s, with a mean age at initial presentation of 30.7 years (age ranges 3-63), The locations of the tumors were mesentery (5), retroperitoneum (4), colon (3), omentum (3), mesocolon (1) and gallbladder (1). Infiltrative growth w as more common pattern than entirely circumscribed pattern. Masses were mos tly multilocular cysts and contained chyle or serous fluid. On immunohistoc hemical staining, 16 cases were reactive for either CD31 or factor VIII-rel ated antigen. These fact would suggest that intra-abdominal lymphangiomas s imulate the immunohistochemical features of collecting lymphatics. Follow u p was possible in 12 cases for 3-50 months (mean 19 months) and only one pa tient showed local recurrence. Although abdominal lymphangiomas are rare in adulthood and correct preoperative diagnosis is difficult, awareness of su ch a possibility in adulthood will contribute to make a correct preoperativ e diagnosis.