Omental Cyst

ABSTRACT

An omental cyst is an uncommon intra-abdominal tumor. The pathogenesis of omental cysts are unknown, as the majority are asymptomatic and if found at all are discovered incidentally during abdominal exploration or radiologic examination. A correct preoperative diagnosis of an omental cyst is very difficult as the information provided by CT and ultrasound imaging is often insufficient to support a differential diagnosis. However, with the increasing availability of ultrasound and CT, preoperative diagnoses of omental cysts are being made more frequently. An exception to this occurs in children, in whom abdominal pain secondary to the cyst may be dominant, necessitating surgical intervention. The most common symptoms and physical findings are abdominal pain and a smooth, non-tender, mobile, palpable mass. Recently, we encountered a case of an omental cyst in a surgically removed omentum. This case is reported with a review of the literature.