A Rare Presentation of Omental Lymphangioma Masquerading as Malignancy in an Adult Patient

Abstract

Abdominal lymphangiomas are benign vascular neoplasms of the lymphatic vessels. Most are believed to be congenital, and they rarely present in the abdomen in adults. Omental lymphangiomas, in particular, are especially rare and can masquerade as malignancy, which requires further invasive workup. We report the case of an otherwise healthy man with abdominal discomfort, ascites, and a presentation initially concerning for malignancy. However, imaging and pathologic analyses later elucidated the lesion as an omental lymphangioma requiring different management. Treatment options are either resection or sclerotherapy, and the prognosis is generally excellent.

Case report: Omental lymphangioma mimicking gastric cystic tumor

“…Although the exact etiology of lymphangiomas remains unclear, it is believed to result from a developmental failure of lymphatic system or inflammation of lymphatics causing obstruction [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] . They usually occur in children, and more than 95 percent involve the head and neck regions [7] . Less than 1% of cases affect the mesentery, greater omentum, and retroperitoneum [5] .…”