"Tethered Fat Sign": The Sonographic Sign of Omental Infarction

Our purpose is to describe the ultrasound sign for a correct non-invasive diagnosis of omental infarction in children. From January 2014 to December 2018, a total of 234 children (109 boys and 125 girls, age range 3-15 y) with acute right-sided abdominal pain, admitted to our hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis, were prospectively evaluated. In all patients, abdominal ultrasound was performed, and the omental fat was always evaluated. In 228 patients, the omental fat resulted to be normal or hyperechogenic, never tethered, and they results affected by other causes of abdominal pain different from omental infarction (such as appendicitis, pancreatitis, urolithiasis and others). In the remaining 6 children, we found a hyperechoic mass between the anterior abdominal wall and the ascending or transverse colon in the right abdomen quadrant, suggesting the diagnosis of omental infarction. This subhepatic mass was always tethered to the abdominal wall, motionless during respiratory excursions. We named this finding the "tethered fat sign." The diagnosis was confirmed with laparoscopy in 4 children. The other 2 children were treated with conservative therapy. In these 2 patients, a sonographic follow-up was performed, showing a progressive reduction in size of the right-sided hyperechoic mass. In conclusion, our study suggests that the presence of the "tethered fat sign" may be an accurate sonographic sign for non-invasive diagnosis of omental infarction in children.

Capillary hemangioma arising from the lesser omentum in an adult: A case report

RATIONALE

Although capillary hemangiomas, common lesions involving the proliferation of small capillary vessels and a single layer of endothelial cells, can arise in any organ, they are rarely reported in the greater or lesser omentum. Here in, we report a case of capillary hemangioma arising from the lesser omentum in an adult with interesting diagnostic imaging findings, including changes in tumor size over time on computed tomography (CT), that was resected using laparoscopic surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first English report to describe a capillary hemangioma arising from the lesser omentum.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 63-year-old Japanese man received hemodialysis for chronic renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy, and a small, gradually enlarging tissue mass was found near the lesser curvature of the stomach on plain CT performed annually, without any associated complaints. Diagnostic imaging revealed an 18 × 15-mm tumor with a homogenous, highly enhanced effect in the early phase that was attenuated but prolonged in the delayed phase. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass with low signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging and relatively high signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging.

DIAGNOSIS

The patient was diagnosed with capillary hemangioma arising from the lesser omentum according to the pathological and immunohistological findings.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent laparoscopy for excision of the tumor from the lesser omentum.

OUTCOMES

At the 1 year follow-up, the patient had no recurrence of the tumor.

LESSONS

We describe the first case worldwide of capillary hemangioma that was a true vascular tumor arising from the lesser omentum. Although capillary hemangioma arising from the lesser omentum is extremely rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with a highly enhanced lesser omental tumor, and laparoscopy can be safely applied for the excision of this tumor.

A rare diagnosis of abdominal pain presentation in the emergency department: Idiopathic omental bleeding: A case report

RATIONALE

Idiopathic omental bleeding is a rare cause of acute abdomen, with only a few reported cases. It usually presents with abdominal pain and may be life-threatening. As it rarely occurs, it may not be considered initially during patient presentation.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 35-year-old male came to our emergency department with abdominal pain present for around 5 to 6 hours. The patient complained of left upper quadrant abdominal pain after eating breakfast. The only associated symptom was 3 episodes of vomiting up food. Physical examination revealed mild left upper quadrant abdominal tenderness without muscle guarding or rebounding pain. Blood examination showed leukocytosis with neutrophil predominance and C reactive protein elevation. The pain was persistent and relief was not obtained by medication.

DIAGNOSES

Computed tomography showed a large lobular-contour homogenous slightly hyperdense lesion without enhancement along the greater curvature of the stomach in the lesser sac. A surgeon was consulted and laparotomy was suggested. Hematoma was found at Morrison pouch, subsplenic fossa, and lesser sac under operation.

INTERVENTION

Laparotomy and ligation for hemostasis.

OUTCOMES

The patient was discharged with stable condition after 7 days of hospitalization.

LESSONS

This diagnosis should be considered in patients presenting with epigastric pain and vomiting after eating while in the emergency department because this disease might be life-threatening. This case highlights 2 important learning points. First, idiopathic omental bleeding could occur after eating in patients without underlying disease or trauma history, and this disease should be taken into consideration when acute abdomen occurs. Second, emergent laparotomy is indicated if the cause of acute abdomen is not clear.

Cystic lymphangioma of the lesser omentum in a pregnant woman: a case report and review of the literature

Lymphangiomas are rare benign tumors which are generally seen in pediatric population and the etiopathogenesis has not yet been understood. They occasionally occur in the head and neck or axillary region with only 5% of them being located in the abdominal or mediastinal cavity. These tumors may be asymptomatic or may cause acute abdominal symptoms due to the location and extention. In the English literature, only 4 cases of lymphangioma were reported to have occurred in the pregnancy period. Herein, we report a case of cystic lymphangioma of the lesser omentum detected incidentally on the ultrasonogram of a 21 year-old, 26-week pregnant woman. The patient was followed up uneventfully during pregnancy. Caesarean section was performed due to transverse presentation of the fetus, and the tumor was completely resected during the same session. The patient is recurrence-free after 1 year of postoperative follow-up.

Monophasic synovial sarcoma of the greater omentum: case report and review of literature

Synovial sarcoma is a malignant spindle cell neoplasm normally arising from tissues around joints, bursa and tendon sheaths. Several reports involving the gastrointestinal tract, mainly the oesophagus and stomach, have been documented; however, the omentum remains an extremely unusual location. Monophasic type is composed exclusively of spindle cells arranged in fascicles. Establishing the correct diagnosis of these tumours could be challenging because of the similarities with gastrointestinal stromal tumours and other mesenchymal tumours with similar histology.

Omental torsion: an infrequent cause of abdominal pain

Omental torsion is an infrecuent cause of acute abdomen. It is related to obesity, abdominal surgery and abdominal trauma. Urgent exploratory laparotomy allows diagnosis and prevents complications as intrabdominal abcess. We present CT imaging of a Omenat torsion clinical case.

[A Surgical Case of Solitary Fibrous Tumor Originating from the Greater Omentum]

A36 -year-old man with intellectual disabilities consulted a local physician complaining of a cough, and an abdominal mass was observed on palpation. The patient visited our hospital for close examination. Abdominal contrasting CT revealed a mass with a clear boundary with heterogeneous contrast on the left side of his abdominal cavity. We performed a laparotomy and observed that the tumor originated from the greater omentum. The tumor size was 9×8×6 cm and its weight was 200 g. Histopathologic examination showed hyperplastic spindle-shaped tumor cells with less nuclear fission. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumor was positive for CD34, CD99, and bcl-2, slightly positive for p53, and negative for S-100, a- SMA, c-kit, and desmin. Based on the results, a diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) was made. The patient has not shown any recurrence 8 months after surgery.

Omental Infarction In A Child

Omental infarction is a rare cause of acute abdomen in children. Typical findings on imaging establish the diagnosis. We present case of a 7 years old boy who presented with acute right iliac fossa pain with diagnosis of omental infarction on imaging and findings confirmed on laparotomy. Sound knowledge regarding this infrequent cause of acute abdomen in children is necessary for timely diagnosis.

Sclerosing mesenteric panniculitis in a young patient : common cause of diagnostic dilemma and treatment refractoriness

BACKGROUND

Sclerosing mesenteric panniculitis (SMP) is an idiopathic chronic fibroinflammatory disorder of the intra-abdominal fat.

CASE PRESENTATION

Herin, we report a case of SMP, involving the omentum, mesentery and peri-colic fat in a 18 year old male, who presented with significant and recurrent abdominal distension for 4.5 years. Computed tomogram revealed ascites, with nodular and irregular omental thickening and foci of calcification. Non-specific radiological and histological features made an accurate diagnosis extremely difficult. After a thorough work up and exclusion of other differentials, diagnosis of a nodular SMP (Weber Christian disease) was given. After showing resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, slow response was noted with cyclophosphamide, followed by rapid symptomatic improvement with mesenterectomy.

CONCLUSION

SMP is an uncommon benign mesenteric/ omental inflammation, and is a diagnosis of exclusion. As treatment refractoriness is common, management should be individualized and continued for along period. Surgical omentectomy may be helpful.

ILEAL HERNIATION THROUGH THE FORAMEN OF WINSLOW: OVEREATING AS A RISK FACTOR FOR INTERNAL HERNIATION

Internal hernias have an overall incidence of less than 1% and are difficult to diagnose clinically due to their nonspecific presentation. Most internal hernias present as strangulating closed-loop obstruction and delay in surgical intervention is responsible for a high mortality rate (49%). We present a case of ileal herniation through the foramen of Winslow. A 29-year-old previously healthy female presented with acute onset right upper quadrant pain, abdominal fullness, and nausea. The pain was sudden in onset and began shortly after a dinner party where she consumed larger portions of food. Laboratory investigations revealed mild leukocytosis with left shift. Dual-phase multi-detector computed tomography disclosed herniation of the small bowel into the lesser sac. The patient underwent an emergency median laparotomy that revealed ileal herniation through the foramen of Winslow. Adhesiolysis and manual reduction of the bowel was performed, and the reduced bowel showed only congestive changes. The postoperative recovery was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the third postoperative day. Risk factors for internal herniation still remain unclear, although excessively mobile bowel loops and an enlarged foramen of Winslow have been described. Our case demonstrated that overeating could be an additional risk factor for internal herniation. We describe our clinical and radiology findings, as well as surgical management. Due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality, it is imperative that clinicians be aware of the possible risks factors for internal herniation. Internal hernias should be included in the differential diagnosis of small bowel obstruction so that appropriate steps can be made in the work-up of these patients, followed by timely surgical intervention.

Growing teratoma syndrome after ovarian inmature teratoma: a case report and review of the literature

Growing teratoma syndrome is an uncommon complication of malignant germ cell cancer, characterised by the development of large tumours during or after chemotherapy, despite normalisation of tumour marker levels and metastasis, which contain only mature teratoma. Given its low incidence, little is data available. The authors present the case of a 15-year-old girl with a growing teratoma and the literature review outlines the current knowledge of its pathogenesis, common sites, diagnosis, natural course, treatment, and prognosis.

EGIST of the greater omentum - case study and review of literature

The development of immunohistochemical methods has outlined a particular group of tumors, with very specific features and treatment, originating in the Cajal cells of the muscularis propria or related stem cell-like precursors present in the wall of the digestive tract called gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). A sub-segment with similar features may develop outside the digestive tract, namely extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs). From the small category of EGISTs, we report on a case of a primary epithelioid EGIST of the greater omentum, which is seldom reported in literature. The tumor was diagnosed in a man with non-specific symptoms who presented for abdominal enlargement. The tumor was characterized and there was a preoperative suspicion of a non-digestive tumor located in the greater omentum. The tumor was surgically removed showing no contact with adjacent organs. Immunohistochemical examination was consistent with a primary EGIST of the greater omentum. Treatment with Imatinib mesylate was started and at two-year follow-up, the patient is disease free. The case raises problems regarding pathogenesis, immunohistochemical features, behavior, evolution and prognosis of omental EGIST, for which no significant or conflicting data are available in the literature.

[Primary omental torsion in preschool girls case report]

INTRODUCTION

Primary omental torsion is a rare finding in cases of suspected acute abdomen. It is more common in children. Secondary omental torsion is typical for adults.

CASE REPORT

The authors describe two cases where pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant was caused by primary torsion of the omental corner due to increased intraabdominal pressure: after a strong cough in one girl and after a workout in the other. Primary omental torsion usually mimics acute appendicitis with clinical findings in the right lower abdominal quadrant, especially in obese children. However, our two cases describe normosthenic girls with pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant up to the mesogastrium.

CONCLUSION

Primary torsion of the omentum is a very rare cause of acute abdomen, which is also confirmed by its incidence in our group of patients where only two cases were seen during a 15-year period, which corresponds to 0.17% of all appendectomies performed in our department. This value is comparable to data reported in the literature.

KEY WORDS

acute abdomen omental torsion tenderness in right upper abdomen.

[Splenosis as a rare cause of abdominal pain]

INTRODUCTION

Splenosis is the autotransplantation of splenic tissue in atypical locations in the abdomen, chest or other parts of the body.

CASE REPORT

Authors present a case of splenosis in a 35 years old woman hospitalized with abdominal pain, who underwent splenectomy for traumatic rupture with splenic tissue implantation in the omentum 19 years ago. Surgical revision was indicated for intensive pain. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis in the excised tissue.

CONCLUSION

Despite the abandonment of splenic tissue autotransplantation after splenectomy, surgeons may still encounter the diagnosis of splenosis in patients after traumatic splenic rupture. Any incidental finding of splenosis during an operation for another indication should be sent for histopathology examination.

KEY WORDS

splenosis, splenectomy abdominal pain scintigraphy.

Case Report of Multimodality Imaging in Omental Cake: Plain Radiograph, Computed Tomography, and Ultrasonography: A Care-Compliant Article

The imaging finding of omental cake has been demonstrated in other modalities, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography. However, to the best of our knowledge, the image presentation of omental cake on a routine kidney-ureter-bladder film has not been reported before in the literature. We presented a unique case of a 61-year-old woman, with known advanced cecal colon mucinous adenocarcinoma, presented to our institution with abdominal fullness, poor appetite, and decreased stool passage for 20 days. Physical examination was unremarkable, except distended abdomen. Subsequent study revealed massive post-pigtail catheter drainage ascites with a prominent soft-tissue mass-causing centralization and tethering of focally distended small bowel gas, suggestive of omental cake on plain radiograph. The imaging finding in plain radiograph corresponds to the findings in other imaging modalities, including abdominal sonography and computed tomography. The patient underwent subtotal colectomy and ileostomy during later courses of chemotherapy due to adhesion ileus and possible intraabdominal abscess, and pathologic study confirmed the diagnosis of cecal mucinous adenocarcinoma and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Although the image finding of omental cake on plain radiograph has never been described, this image finding is unique and should be recognized, as it may suggest the presence of omental cake when first identified in the emergency department from patients with abdominal distension and warrant further evaluation to evaluate the underlying cause.

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumor of lesser omentum: a challenging radiological and histological diagnosis

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are a rare subgroup of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), arising from outside the walls of gastrointestinal tubular organs. We report a case of an EGIST of the lesser omentum that represented a diagnostic challenge. Due to its atypical radiologic findings, it was preoperatively mistaken for pedunculated hepatic hemangioma. Histopathologically, it showed epithelioid structure and c-kit negative, very uncommon for GIST. Only a few cases of EGISTs have been previously reported. We discuss imaging and histological features, emphasizing potential pitfalls.

Tubo-omental ectopic pregnancy

Tubo-omental pregnancy is a very rare form of ectopic pregnancy. Here we present a case of tubo-omental pregnancy diagnosed at surgical exploration. A 26-year-old woman presented with abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting. There was ectopic pregnancy with viable foetus in the right adnexa and haemoperitonium. Laparotomy was performed and on exploration tubo-omental pregnancy was found attached to fimbria at one side and omentum at the other. Fimriaectomy and partial omentectomy was performed. The patient had a successful post-operative recovery.

Primary omental gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) presenting with a large abdominal mass and spontaneous haemoperitoneum

A 60-year-old Indonesian woman presented with a 9-day history of increasing abdominal distension, pain and tiredness. Physical examination revealed significant pallor with a palpable mass in the abdomen. CT of the abdomen reported a 22 cm complex mass in the peritoneal cavity with free intra-abdominal fluid. Laboratory results showed anaemia with a raised serum CA 125 level. At laparotomy a large haemorrhagic tumour with blood filled cystic cavities was found attached to both greater omentum and the transverse mesocolon with 2.2 L of blood in the peritoneal cavity. There was no invasion of any part of the stomach or intestines and there were no metastases seen. Histopathology of the resected specimen was consistent with that of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour arising from the omentum. Immunohistochemical studies revealed the tumour to be strongly positive for discovered on GIST-1 (DOG1) but negative for both CD117 and CD34. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation D842V was detected.

Rare case of omentum-wrapped abscess caused by a fish bone penetrating the terminal ileum

Accidentally ingested foreign bodies, for the most part, pass through the gastrointestinal tract, but can cause several complications. Perforation is rare, but can occur in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal perforations due to foreign bodies are rarely diagnosed preoperatively as clinical symptoms are non-specific and they can mimic other abdominal conditions. We describe a case of a 48-year-old patient who was admitted to the emergency room because of severe abdominal pain of 5 d duration. A computed tomography scan showed an undefined liquid collection involving a linear image 35 mm in size, suggestive of a foreign body. On laparotomy, an abscess containing a fish bone was resected. As fish bone ingestion is usually not remembered by the patient, the diagnosis can be delayed. The preoperative diagnosis is frequently acute abdomen of unknown cause. A low threshold of suspicion along with a good clinical history and radiological studies are extremely important in order to make a correct diagnosis.

18F-FDG PET imaging in a patient with late omental infarction after treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

We report a case of late omental infarction visualized by F-FDG PET/CT during follow-up for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The 65-year-old patient was referred for imaging 8 months after pancreaticoduodenectomy and 2 months after completion of a course of chemotherapy. PET/CT showed an FDG-avid omental lesion that suggested peritoneal carcinomatosis. The appearance and evolution at follow-up studies confirmed the diagnosis of omental infarction, a rare complication of pancreatic surgery. This case revealed the possibility of late FDG uptake in omental infarction.