Giant Peritoneal Loose Body in the Pelvic Cavity

We report a case of a large peritoneal loose body diagnosed on computed tomography. The most common causes of a peritoneal loose body are thought to be torsion and separation of the appendices epiploicae. Peritoneal loose bodies are usually small, 0.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter. However, "giant" peritoneal loose bodies, larger than 4 cm in diameter, are an uncommon disease and present with various symptoms, and are difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Especially, abdominal large peritoneal loose bodies are frequently misdiagnosed as tumorous disease preoperatively. In our case, the loose body appeared as a round pelvic mass with central calcifications and a distinct fat plane separating it from adjacent organs. Preoperatively, we suspected a tumorous lesion from the wall of the upper rectum; however, at laparoscopy, a large peritoneal loose body was detected. An extraction of the giant peritoneal loose body was performed laparoscopically.

A Case of Peritoneal Loose Body in a Child / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

A peritoneal loose body is reported to develop because of torsion and separation of the epiploic appendages. The condition is usually symptomless and may be incidentally during abdominal surgery or autopsy. It usually occurs in middle-aged and elderly adults and is very rare in children. In this paper, we report a case of a peritoneal loose body in the pelvic cavity of a 10-year old-girl who presented with urinary frequency and left lower abdominal discomfort. A second plain X-ray film of the abdomen, obtained before surgery, in a different view than the first, revealed that the calcified mass had migrated to a lower position. The mass was laparoscopically resected, and histological examination revealed it to be a fibrotic nodule with central liquefaction and calcification.