Mesenteric Cysts Report on three cases and review of the literature

ABSTRACT

A mesenteric cyst is an uncommon cause of a palpable abdominal mass. Such cysts occur along the Gastrointestinal(G-I) tract, from the duodenum to the rectum and are commonly found in the mesentery of small bowel rather than in the mesocolon. They can present themselves as chronic abdominal pain, an abdominal mass, and abdominal pain, and the most common physical finding is an abdominal mass which is movable transversely but not longitudinally. Diagnostic aids include abdominal computed tomography and ultrasound. An upper gastrointestinal series, barium enema, and intravenous pyelogram exclude GI and genitourinary cysts and tumors. Complete excision of the cyst, including a bowel resection, if necessary, is the treatment of choice and it has excellent postoperative results. The authors experienced three new cases of mesenteric cysts from March 1986 to July 1997 in Chonbuk National University Hospital. These cases are reported in this paper, along with a review of the literature on mesenteric cysts.