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Case Reports
. 2003 Dec;9(12):2880-2.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i12.2880.

Surgical resection of duodenal lymphangiectasia: a case report

Chih-Ping Chen  1 , Yee Chao, Chung-Pin Li, Wen-Ching Lo, Chew-Wun Wu, Shyh-Haw Tsay, Rheun-Chuan Lee, Full-Young Chang
Affiliations
Case Reports

Surgical resection of duodenal lymphangiectasia: a case report

Chih-Ping Chen et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2003 Dec.

Abstract

Intestinal lymphangiectasia, characterized by dilatation of intestinal lacteals, is rare. The major treatment for primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is dietary modification. Surgery to relieve symptoms and to clarify the etiology should be considered when medical treatment failed. This article reports a 49-year-old woman of solitary duodenal lymphangiectasia, who presented with epigastralgia and anemia. Her symptoms persisted with medical treatment. Surgery was finally performed to relieve the symptoms and to exclude the existence of underlying etiologies, with satisfactory effect. In conclusion, duodenal lymphangiectasia can present clinically as epigastralgia and chronic blood loss. Surgical resection may be resorted to relieve pain, control bleeding, and exclude underlying diseases in some patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Panendoscopy revealed a 3 cm irregular elevated lesion with whitish spots on the surface and a central crater with blood-coating in the second portion of duodenum. (B) Histology of the endoscopic biopsy showed prominent dilatation of intramucosal and submucosal lymphatic ducts (arrows), a picture of intestinal lymphangiectasia (Hematoxylin and eosin, ×40). (C) Upper gastrointestinal series demonstrated a cluster of polypoid filling defects, 3×3 cm in size, in the second portion of the duode-num (arrows). (D) Gross appearance of the surgical specimen revealed a sessile polypoid lesion, 3 cm in diameter, in the second portion of the duodenum (arrows).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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