Laparoscopic excision of a large hepatic cyst

Abstract

Benign congenital liver cysts are rare in the pediatric population and often present a challenge in the diagnosis. Therefore, with recent advances in the field of minimally invasive surgery, this technique may be ideal in achieving both diagnosis and curative resection. We describe the case of a 2-month-old female initially referred for an antenatal ultrasound in the third trimester revealing a 7-cm intraabdominal cystic lesion of unknown origin. She was found to have a 10-cm hepatic cyst successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery. Our approach consisted of complete cyst excision along with its attached hepatic parenchyma. We recommend this technique as safe and feasible. © 2010 by JSLS.