Emergency laparotomy for misdiagnosed biliary cystadenoma originating from caudate lobe.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Biliary cystadenoma is a rare benign neoplasm, which is often misdiagnosed for a hepatic abscess or a hydatid cyst that tends to recur and is at risk for progression to malignant neoplasm.

CASE PRESENTATION:

This case describes a 30-year-old woman admitted to our institution in an emergency setting. The patient was originally misdiagnosed as affected by a hepatic hydatid cyst at another hospital, and then emergently treated at our Institution for severe abdominal pain. Histologic evaluation of the cyst showed that it was a biliary cystadenoma and, therefore, the patient underwent a hepatic resection in order to completely remove the lesion.

CONCLUSION:

Complete excision of any suspicious hepatic cystic lesion remains the best method for diagnosis and treatment of cystadenoma. Incomplete excision of most biliary cystadenoma results in a higher rate of recurrence and the risk of malignant transformation. We report this case to elucidate the clinical presentation, preoperative evaluation, and surgical treatment of these rare lesions.

• Authors: Giovanni Ramacciato, Giuseppe R Nigri, Francesco D'Angelo, Paolo Aurello, Riccardo Bellagamba, Cristina Colarossi, Emanuela Pilozzi, Massimo Del Gaudio
• Journal: World journal of surgical oncology (World J Surg Oncol) Vol. 4 Pg. 76 (Nov 07 2006) ISSN: 1477-7819 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 17090300 (Publication Type: Journal Article)