Bronchogenic cyst of the abdomen

Abstract

A bronchogenic cyst is a rare congenital anomaly that appears in the thorax, usually the lungs or the mediastinum, being much rarer in the retrosternal space, within the pericardium or the diaphragm, as well as in the neck, while localisation within the abdomen is extremely rare, with only about 30 reported cases. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman. During an investigation for an epigastric pain, a cystic lesion in the area of the body and tail of the pancreas was found. During open surgery, a cystic lesion, spanning 95 x 75 x 70 mm, above the body and tail of the pancreas was excised. The wall of the cyst was 8-12mm thick; it contained viscous fluid, the culture of which stayed sterile. Histology determined that it was a bronchogenic cyst. After an early uneventful recovery, the patient developed a left colonic fistula, which healed spontaneously within 3 weeks, probably because of the unnoticed operative damage to the splenic flexure of the colon during splenectomy, which was adherent to the cystic mass and impossible to save during excision. Six months after surgery, the patient continued to remain symptom free.