2022 Volume 58 Issue 7 Pages 966-971
Abdominal lymphatic malformation (LM) is a rare disease that can cause acute abdomen and abdominal distention requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. It may also be detected incidentally. Appropriate treatment strategies for this disease have not been established. Here, we present our experience and report on the effectiveness of drainage in cases of LM with infection and inflammation. The medical records of 28 patients treated for LM (intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal) between 1997 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The median age at diagnosis was three years. There were 24 symptomatic patients, including 10 with infection/inflammation, four with intracystic hemorrhage, two with non-infectious non-hemorrhagic enlargement, two with torsion, and six with other conditions. Intervention was performed in all symptomatic patients. Surgical resection was performed in 13 of 14 (92.9%) patients without infection and inflammation. In the 10 patients with infection and inflammation, antibiotic treatment with or without drainage successfully controlled infection in nine, whereas one required emergency resection after antibiotics. Of these nine patients, one underwent surgery for subsequent ileus, one underwent sclerotherapy, and seven were followed up as outpatients; two required surgery and regression occurred in five patients. No recurrences were observed. Symptomatic abdominal LM is an indication for surgical resection; however, in patients with infection and inflammation, antibiotic therapy with or without drainage may be an option to control the symptom, leading to subsequent regression.
