Laparoscopic Treatment Of Large Splenic Pseudocysts: Case Report And Review Of The Literature

A rare disease of the spleen is represented by pseudocyst, commonly follows a history of trauma, infection or infarction and are usually asymptomatic. In this report, we present a case of large pseudocyst of the spleen treated laparoscopically. We describe a case of a Caucasian patient, 16 years old, with symptoms of abdominal pain. The ultrasound examination and laboratory confirmed the diagnosis of a large, non-parasitic splenic cyst. Computed tomography described a large pseudocyst occupying almost the entire splenic parenchyma. The medical history revealed a previous abdominal injury. This patient underwent a videolaparoscopy total splenectomy by 4 trocars. The pathology examination verified the diagnosis of a non-parasitic splenic pseudocyst. The choice of medical treatment is difficult because of the anatomical and surgical difficulties as well as the possible recurrence and bleeding risk. Total splenectomy is preferred when the splenic cyst is large or cannot be excised with safety. Laparoscopy should be the procedure of choice in cases of post-traumatic splenic cysts, as it provides safe and definite treatment with all of the other advantages of minimally invasive surgery.