Giant transmural lipoma of the sigmoid colon

Abstract

Lipomas of the colon are relatively rare benign tumors of mesenchymatic origin. They are usually asymptomatic but as they become larger they can cause symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, constipation, haematochezia, loss of body weight, anemia or even intussusception and colonic obstruction. We present a 52 year old male patient who visited the emergency room complaining of constipation, rectal bleeding, mucus in stools and a palpable rectal mass. Colonoscopy revealed a polypoid mass of the sigmoid colon lying about 30 cm from the anal verge. Sigmoidectomy was performed. The postoperative recovery was uneventful and he was discharged five days later. At follow up a month after surgery the patient was asymptomatic. The pathological examination revealed a transmural tumor of the sigmoid colon measuring a 9x5x2.5cm and histologically compatible with a lipoma.

Keywords: benign; colonic; intussusception; lipoma; tumor.

Figure 1. Endoscopy revealed a pendicular tumor at 30 cm.

Figure 2. Surgical specimen: the size of the tumor is 9 x 5 x 2,5cm.

Figure 3. The tumor is histologically compatible with a lipoma (hematoxylin and eosin, original magnification x 200)

Figure 4. Transmural expansion of the lipoma (hematoxylin and eosin, original magnification x 200)