CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2002 June;15(3):107-10

Copyright © 2002 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Cystic lymphangioma of the spleen: a rare disease. Report of 2 cases and review of the literature

Cimitan A., Marchetti G., Bertolini R., Baiano G., Tersigni R.

Cystic lymphangioma of the spleen is a very rare condition, and is classified among cystic proliferations of the spleen. It is considered to be the result of a developmental malformation of the lymphatic system and can involve the spleen alone or be a part of a multiorgan disease. It is usually seen in children, often found incidentally. Cystic lymphangioma of the spleen is also frequently solitary and asymptomatic. The possibility of malignant degeneration is reported. Prognosis is good, but large lymphangiomas present a high risk of rupture, even from minor abdominal injuries. Treatment is surgical and splenectomy is the gold standard. The authors describe 2 cases of cystic lymphangioma of the spleen in 2 middle-age women that were treated with splenectomy at the General Surgery Department ''Flajani'', San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital of Rome, and present a review of the literature.