Laparoscopic resection of a congenital liver cyst and simultaneous closure of a diaphragmatic defect in a 5-month-old infant

Surg Endosc. 2003 Mar;17(3):520. doi: 10.1007/s00464-002-4256-8. Epub 2002 Dec 20.

Abstract

Congenital liver cysts are an unusual finding and present a difficult diagnostic challenge. In a 5-month-old infant, routine echocardiography detected a cystic lesion (3 cm in diameter) just below the diaphragm. All conventional diagnostics, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), failed to clarify its etiology definitively. Moreover, a phrenic irregularity was suspected at the site of Morgagni. Finally, laparoscopy (5-mm scope and instruments) confirmed the diagnosis of a solitary liver cyst and a diaphragmatic defect. Using a Harmonic scalpel, the cyst was resected and the diaphragmatic defect was closed with interrupted nonabsorbable sutures. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Pathological analysis showed a true liver cyst with mesothelial lining and hepatic residues. Retrospective speculation suggests a common embryologic origin for both malformations. In conclusion, laparoscopy allowed final diagnosis and simultaneous treatment of an infant with the rare combination of a liver cyst and a diaphragmatic defect. To our knowledge, this case represents the first endosurgical experience of such a simultaneous procedure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Cysts / diagnosis
  • Cysts / pathology
  • Cysts / surgery*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Hernia, Diaphragmatic / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Laparoscopy / methods*
  • Liver Diseases / diagnosis
  • Liver Diseases / pathology
  • Liver Diseases / surgery*