Small bowel volvulus and mesenteric ischemia induced by mesenteric cystic lymphangioma in an adult and literature review; a case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Mesenteric cystic lymphangioma (MCL) is a rare benign intraperitoneal mass with congenital origin, and it is extremely rare in adults. Mesentery is an unusual location for cystic lymphangioma too. Clinical presentations are nonspecific, and diagnosis is challenging. It can mimic other surgical complications like appendicitis or any acute abdomen causes, so the review of cases is necessary for the best management and surgical planning. CASE PRESENTATION: We have presented a 22-year-old man presented with complaints of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In laparotomy, a cyst was found with large size around the small intestine which caused mesenteric ischemia and changed the color of the small bowel to an ischemic view. The resected cyst was sent and confirmed by the pathology as lymphangiomatosis. MCL is a rare cause of obstruction, which was found accidentally in this case. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: MCLs are clinically challenging lesions with unspecific broad spectrum of clinical presentation ranges. We discuss a rare finding in an adult with intestinal volvulus and mesenteric ischemia. Medical literature and reviews have been searched to find more relevant information about MCLs for the better optimal planning in surgery. CONCLUSION: MCL is a challenging and infrequent case of surgery. Most of the time, it does not cause any complications, but it can also cause some life-threatening conditions like mesenteric ischemia or volvulus and lead to emergent surgery. Complete tumor removal is optimal for managing intra-abdominal cystic lymphangioma with the slightest chance of recurrence.