CASE REPORTS   

Chirurgia 2008 April;21(2):119-21

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Retroperitoneal Castleman’s disease: case report

Martucci N., Corrado G., Russo M., Bartolo V., Coscia L., Aiello A.

Division of General and Laparoscopic Surgery, “Martiri del Villa Malta” Hospital, ASL/SA 1 Sarno, Salerno

Castleman’s disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown cause. The localized form, first described in 1954, has a good prognosis, but the multifocal form has a more aggressive course. Two histological types have been identified: hyaline vascular and plasma cell. The authors present a case of hyaline vascular unifocal Castleman’s disease. A retroperitoneal mass was discovered during ultrasound examination in a 32-year-old man with abdominal pain. On CT examination, a solid mass measuring 6.8 x 3.5 cm raised a problem of differential diagnosis with other retroperitoneal masses. The diagnosis was established by tumour excision and histological examination. The immediate and subsequent postoperative course was uneventful.