title: Laparoscopic splenectomy for a giant splenic epidermoid cyst: report of a case.
abstract: The use of laparoscopic splenectomy has increased in recent years, primarily for patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We describe herein the first known case of a laparoscopic splenectomy to be performed in Japan for a patient with a giant splenic epidermoid cyst. A 26-year-old woman presented to our hospital with the major complaint of a feeling of abdominal fullness. Prior to surgery, an ultrasound-guided splenic cyst puncture was conducted for diagnostic purposes as well as to reduce the size of the cyst. The carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) level was found to be elevated in the cystic contents and in the serum. Under laparoscopic guidance, the splenic vessels were ligated using a device for extracorporeal ligation, then divided. After the resected spleen had been placed in a retrieval bag, it was delivered out of the abdominal cavity without fragmentation. Following surgery, the patient's serum CA 19-9 level returned to normal. Splenic epidermoid cysts are most often encountered in young women, and laparoscopic surgery to remove cysts of this type is both minimally invasive and excellent from a cosmetic standpoint. Thus, laparoscopic surgery should be considered as the method of choice for the majority of patients diagnosed with a splenic epidermoid cyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saga Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yunotani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edakuni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome