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Laparoscopic splenectomy for a giant splenic epidermoid cyst: Report of a case

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Abstract

The use of laparoscopic splenectomy has increased in recent years, primarily for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We describe herein the first known case of a laparoscopic splenectomy to be performed in Japan for a patient with a giant splenic epidermoid cyst. A 26-year-old woman presented to our hospital with the major complaint of a feeling of abdominal fullness. Prior to surgery, an ultrasound-guided splenic cyst puncture was conducted for diagnostic purposes as well as to reduce the size of the cyst. The carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level was found to be elevated in the cystic contents and in the serum. Under laparoscopic guidance, the splenic vessels were ligated using a device for extracorporeal ligation, the divided. After the resected spleen had been placed in a retrieval bag, it was delivered out of the abdominal cavity without fragmentation. Following surgery, the patient's serum CA 19-9 level returned to normal. Splenic epidermoid cysts are most often encountered in young women, and laparoscopic surgery to remove cysts of this type is both minimally invasive and excellent from a cosmetic standpoint. Thus, laparoscopic surgery, should be considered as the method of choice for the majority of patients diagnosed with a splenic epidermoid cyst.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Saga Medical School, 849-8501, Japan

    Yuichiro Sakamoto, Seiji Yunotani, Genichiro Edakuni, Michito Mori, Akihiro Iyama & Kohji Miyazaki

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  1. Yuichiro Sakamoto
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  2. Seiji Yunotani
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  3. Genichiro Edakuni
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  4. Michito Mori
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  5. Akihiro Iyama
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  6. Kohji Miyazaki
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Sakamoto, Y., Yunotani, S., Edakuni, G. et al. Laparoscopic splenectomy for a giant splenic epidermoid cyst: Report of a case. Surg Today 29, 1268–1272 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482221

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02482221

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