Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 5 , Pages 433-435, May 2009

Inflammatory Omental Cyst Adjacent to the Transverse Colon Mimicking Appendicitis in an Adult Patient

Departments of Trauma and Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Received 5 September 2007; received in revised form 20 November 2007; accepted 15 January 2008.

Article Outline

Cysts of the omentum are rare and most frequently discovered in children. These cysts may cause abdominal distension, pain, or vomiting. Omental cysts with right lower quadrant pain are found even more rarely in adults. We describe a 44-year-old male who had a 2-day history of abdominal pain localized in the right lower quadrant. Before surgery, acute appendicitis with intra-abdominal abscess was suspected, but during the operation, an infected cyst of the omentum, adjacent and adherent to the redundant transverse colon, was found to have been causing these symptoms. Despite the fact that cysts of the omentum have been reported rarely, the operator should be aware that the cyst is a benign entity and the surgical strategy should be different from that for malignancy. We should keep the possibility of omental cyst in mind to avoid unnecessary bowel resection and potentially harmful inappropriate treatment.

Key Words:  acute abdominal pain , appendicitis , omental cyst

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PII: S0929-6646(09)60089-9

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(09)60089-9

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 5 , Pages 433-435, May 2009