Abstract
We recently encountered a case of cystic lymphangioma of the spleen. The patient was a 57-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of epigastric pain. Upon laparotomy, multiple cyst of the spleen was seen and splenectomy was performed. Histology revealed a benign cystic lymphangioma of the spleen and the inner layer of the lesion was covered with a cellular lining.
This disease was first reported in 1885 and 47 cases have been reviewed up to 1982. There have been only 23 reported cases of this pathological condition, including our own case, in Japan. Many of these cases had developed in relatively young women and their initial symptom was a feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen. The preoperative diagnosis can be made by upper GI series, CT scan and/or ultrasonography from a finding of extrinsic compression of the stomach or multiple cystic images of the spleen. It is generally accepted that the treatment of choice is splenectomy to prevent such conditions as rupture or bleeding or to relieve pressure on adjacent organs.
