1989 Volume 50 Issue 10 Pages 2225-2230
The authers describe a case of lymphangioma of the sigmoid colon that is a rare one among the rare nonepitherial tumors of the sigmoid colon. In addition 53 lesions of 52 cases of the disease roported in Japan were reviewed.
A 69-year-old man complained of abdominal pain. Barium enema examination revealed a hemispherical torose lesion at the sigmoid colon. Endoscopy of the colon exhibited a smooth surface and a possible retention of liquid. Accordingly he was diagnosed to have a cystic disease and operated on. Resected specimen revealed a lesion of 5×4cm in size involving clear liquid internally. Histologically, it was a cavernous cystic type.
A review of the domestic 52 cases with the average age of 55.6 years (20-78 years) revealed that the disease was more common in men rather than women as shown as the male-to-female ratio of 35-to-17. The site where the cyst was most frequently found was the transverse colon in 20 cases followed by the ascending colon in 15 cases. It was common that the patients were operated on under a preoperative diagnosis, submucous tumor, however, polypectomy might enable us to make the definite diagnosis.
Lymphangioma of the sigmoid colon is comonly treated with surgical resection, but endoscopical polypectomy is available if it is indicatable.
