Abstract
A 53-year-old man who was seen at a hospital because of abdominal distension and abdominal pain was revealed to have a moniliform mass on the mesentery of the small intestine by abdominal ultrasonography and abdominal CT scan. Accordingly the patient was referred to our hospital with a suspicion of malignant lymphoma. Laparoscopic-assisted biopsy was performed but it gave no definite diagnosis. Surgery was performed for the purpose of diagnosis as well as treatment. Laparotomy disclosed a mass formed by ranging cysts of various sizes on the small bowel mesentery, and the mesenteric mass was resected together with the small intestine. Histopathology showed that the polycystic lesion comprised the growth of small and large vessels, and hematomas had been formed within the markedly dilated vessels. Cavernous hemangioma was definitely diagnosed.
It is not uncommon that the definite diagnosis of hemangioma of the small bowel mesentery cannot be made before surgery. The disease is so rare that only eleven cases, including our case, have been reported in Japan, and so our case is presented here, together with some bibliographical comments.
