A Case of Mesenteric Lipoma Identified in a Patient with an Acute Abdomen

Abstract

An 18-year-old Japanese man was presented with an acute abdomen, secondary to the right lower abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a 6-cm-diameter tumor with fat concentration and intestinal obstruction caused by the volvulus of the small intestine. Although the volvulus resolved spontaneously, semi-emergency laparotomy was performed because of concerns regarding its recurrence. The tumor was located in the mesentery of the small intestine and was in extensive contact with the intestinal wall. Surgery was performed to resect the tumor along with some portion of the small intestine. The histopathological diagnosis revealed lipoma consisting of mature adipocytes. Mesenteric lipoma is a rare solid primary tumor that develops in the mesentery and accounts for approximately 2% of all mesenteric tumors. The indications for surgery in acute abdomen cases in young patients mostly include inflammatory diseases, such as appendicitis and gynecological inflammatory diseases. Thus, it is important to consider the possibility of an organic disease as a cause of an acute abdomen.