A Case of Tailgut Cyst Treated with Laparoscopic Transabdominal and Transsacral Surgery

Abstract

A 36-year-old woman visited our hospital with a complaint of anal pain. An abdominal CT scan and pelvic MRI showed a presacral cystic tumor extending to the subcutis of the hip through the top of the coccyx. The images suggested that the tumor was a tailgut cyst. Since tailgut cysts can become malignant tumors, radical resection was performed by laparoscopic surgery.

The operation started with transabdominal mobilization of the rectum with a five-port system. After identification of a presacral cystic tumor in the back of the rectum, the abdominal incision was closed and the body position was changed to prone. Finally, the tumor was resected with the coccyx by the transsacral approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. The tumor was diagnosed as a tailgut cyst with pathological findings. We report our experience of this case of a tailgut cyst treated by laparoscopic transabdominal and transsacral surgery, radical resection of the tumor and preservation of the pelvic nerves with minimal invasion, and review the literature.