ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Desmoid tumors are rare lesions without any metastatic potential but a strong tendency to invade locally and to recur. These tumors are associated with women of fertile age, especially during and after pregnancy. CASE PRESENTATION: The case of a desmoid tumor of the anterior abdominal wall in a 40-year-old Caucasian man with no relevant family history is presented, describing its appearance on computed tomography and ultrasonography. The patient, who presented with a painless mass in the left anterolateral abdomen, had a history of previous urgent abdominal surgery after a shotgun injury two years earlier. Radical resection of the affected abdominal wall musculature was performed, and the defect was reconstructed with polypropylene mesh. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of desmoid tumor should be strongly considered even in male patients with an abdominal mass and a history of previous abdominal surgery. The goal of its treatment is complete tumor excision and avoidance of the development of complications such as hernia.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: We report the case of a patient with a benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma and describe its appearance on computed tomography scans and ultrasonography, in correlation with gross clinical and pathological findings. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old Caucasian woman presented to our emergency department with acute abdomen signs and symptoms. A clinical examination revealed a painful palpable mass in her left abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated the presence of a large cystic mass in her left upper abdomen, adjacent to her left hemidiaphragm. The lower border of the mass extended to the upper margin of her pelvis. A complete resection of the lesion was performed. Pathological analysis showed a benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. CONCLUSIONS: Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare lesion with a non-specific appearance on imaging. Its diagnosis always requires pathological analysis.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Ectopic liver tissue is a rare entity, reported to occur in several intra-, retro- and extra- peritoneal sites, including the gallbladder. It is usually detected incidentally, during laparoscopy, laparotomy, or autopsy. Several possible mechanisms may explain the development of liver ectopia. Although ectopic liver tissue is usually asymptomatic, it behaves like orthotopic liver, developing the same pathologic conditions. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 54-year-old woman who was found to have a nodule attached to the gallbladder wall without any connection with the main liver, during an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease. The nodule was removed with the gallbladder and identified histologically as normal ectopic liver tissue. CONCLUSION: It would seem sensible to resect the ectopic tissue if encountered during cholecystectomy for gallstones. Laparoscopic management of ectopic liver can be feasible.