A case of retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma treated successfully by laparoscopic excision

A case of retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma treated laparoscopically is reported. A 26-year-old woman, who complained of abdominal fullness, was referred to us after a large intra-abdominal mass was discovered at her local hospital. Ultrasound and computed tomography showed a fluid-filled mass, 9 cm in diameter, in the left retroperitoneal space. Laparoscopic surgery was performed. We found a smooth and thin-walled cystic tumor that displaced the descending colon to the right and arose from the retroperitoneum, loosely adhering to the psoas muscle. We successfully extirpated the tumor laparoscopically. The surgical specimen consisted of a multilocular, red to yellowish-gray, cystic mass with a smooth, glistening external surface, and inner lining. The mass was filled with thin, yellowish fluid. The histologic diagnosis was benign mucinous cystadenoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains free of recurrence 15 months after surgery. Retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma is a rare entity, and the treatment of choice is surgical excision. Laparoscopic extirpation should be considered for the treatment of selected retroperitoneal cystic lesions. © 2008 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.