Intra-abdominal lymphangioma with ascriasis as diagnostic predicament

Abstract

Lymphangiomas are rare tumours. About 90% of lymphangiomas manifest in children at the age of three years1. The sex ratio is roughly equal in childhood2. In young patients lymphangiomas are preferentially located in head, neck and axilla, but they also occur sporadically in various
parenchymal organs e.g. spleen, liver and bones. When it is diffuse as multifocal disease [lymphangiomatosis] during adulthood, it develops as superficial cutaneous lymphangioma or as intra-abdominal lymphangiomas. The male to female ratio for intra-abdominal lymphangiomas3 is 3:1. Here we present a case of intra-abdominal lymphangioma in a 14- year old boy who presented as a diagnostic dilemma.