Schloffer's tumor: Case report and review of the literature

Polymer clip granuloma mimicking lymph node recurrence: a case report

BACKGROUND

Foreign body granulomas are postoperative inflammatory reactions to surgical materials within the body. Traditionally, sutures have been the leading cause of foreign body granulomas in the abdomen, commonly referred to as "suture granuloma". However, the use of polymer clips in modern surgeries has introduced new challenges, and reports of intra-abdominal foreign body granulomas caused by surgical clips are limited. Herein, we present a case of an intra-abdominal foreign body granuloma formed due to polymer clips.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 45-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic resection for sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma subsequently developed a suspected lymph node recurrence during follow-up. Imaging showed an enlarging mass adjacent to the inferior mesenteric artery with increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. Laparoscopic surgical resection revealed the formation of a foreign body granuloma in response to the polymer clips.

CONCLUSIONS

This case suggests that nonabsorbable polymer clips can induce granulomatous reactions postoperatively, and the appearance of lymph node recurrence may be foreign body granulomas.

Two cases of 18F-FDG-PET/CT positive Schloffer tumor following curative surgery of colon cancer

We report two cases of Schloffer tumor that required resection after radical colon cancer surgery because of suspected lymph node recurrence on contrast-enhanced (CE) CT and 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Case1 is a 69-year-old man with sigmoid colon cancer pStage IIA, and case2 is a 61-year-old man with descending colon cancer pStage IIIB.

A case of infectious heterotopic ossification in the appendectomy scar, which formed an inflammatory granuloma

Inflammatory granulomas often develop in surgical scars due to the presence of foreign bodies, such as sutures. These granulomas are called Schloffer's tumors. Here, we report a case of heterotopic ossification(HO) in an appendectomy scar that formed an inflammatory granuloma following HO infection. A 90-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of a painful mass in the right lower quadrant of her abdomen. She had a history of acute appendicitis, for which she underwent an appendectomy approximately 70 years previously. Imaging studies demonstrated a tumor containing a linear-shaped agent located in the abdominal wall under the surgical scar where the appendectomy was performed. She was then diagnosed with Schloffer's tumor, for which she underwent surgical resection. However, histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was a fibrous connective tissue mass with a lamellar bone inside.

[Foreign body type reaction causing differential diagnostic difficulty after appendectomy]

Összefoglaló. Az appendectomia szövődményei a leggyakrabban a korai posztoperatív időszakban jelentkeznek. A műtét után évekkel megjelenő szövődmény ritka. Egy 11 éves kislányt vizsgáltunk 2 hete fennálló hasi panaszok miatt. Anamnézisében 8 évvel ezelőtt hagyományos módon elvégzett appendectomia szerepel. Az Ausztriában készült első hasi ultrahangvizsgálat eltérést nem talált. Az intézetünkben elvégzett képalkotó vizsgálatok - hasi ultrahang, MR-vizsgálat - ileocoecalisan elhelyezkedő szolid terimét igazoltak, és felvetették a folyamat gyulladásos eredetét. A szerteágazó klinikai tünetek, a laboratóriumi és a képalkotó diagnosztikai eltérések kapcsán differenciáldiagnosztikai szempontból a gyulladásos bélbetegség lehetősége is felmerült, és biztonsággal a tumoros folyamatot sem sikerült kizárni. A rosszabbodó status miatt műtét történt. Ennek során a colon ascendenssel összefüggő, makroszkóposan tumoros megjelenésű elváltozást távolítottak el. A szövettani vizsgálat malignitást nem igazolt, a folyamat idegen test okozta - varróanyag-granuloma - krónikus gyulladásos jellegét erősítette meg. A vizsgálatok kapcsán coeliakia is igazolódott. A hasi műtétek ritka szövődménye a Schloffer-tumor, melyet idegen test típusú - gyakran sebészi varróanyag-maradvány körüli - granulomatosus gyulladásos folyamat jellemez. Az entitás ismerete differenciáldiagnosztikai szempontból fontos. Nehezítette a diagnózist az első hasi ultrahangvizsgálat negatív eredménye és az egyidejűleg manifesztálódó coeliakia. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(3): 112-115. Summary. Generally, complications with appendectomy occur during the early postoperative stage and are quite rare years after the operation. In case of late manifestation of complications, the clinical signs are generally unspecific. We report a case of an 11-year-old girl - who underwent an appendectomy 8 years ago - with abdominal pain during the last 2 weeks. The first ultrasound examinations were carried out in Austria with normal results. In our department, the ultrasonography and the MR examinations showed an inhomogeneous abdominal mass which was connected to the abdominal wall and with the suspicion of inflammation. Because of the diversified results of radiology imaging and laboratory test, inflammatory bowel disease and tumor were considered in the differential diagnosis. During the operation, a tumor-like lesion related to the ascending colon was found. The histopathological examination revealed a foreign body type suture granuloma with a central abscess. Malignancy was not found. The clinical investigation proved celiac disease, too. The Schloffer tumor is a rare complication after abdominal surgery. This is a foreign body type inflammatory granuloma mainly around a surgical thread. The knowledge of the entity is important in differential diagnostic aspect. The presence of celiac disease in combination with the negative result of the first ultrasound examination made the exact diagnosis more difficult. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(3): 112-115.

Laparoscopic excision for small intestinal mesenteric tumour diagnosed Schloffer tumour

This report presents a case of Schloffer tumour at the small intestinal mesentery, mimicking a malignant tumour, treated laparoscopically. Six years prior, a 57-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy for a benign, cystic, ovarian tumour, but she had no history of malignancy. She was treated at an outpatient clinic for gastrointestinal complaints and was relieved of these symptoms. Abdominal computed tomography showed an incidental mesenteric tumour of the small intestine, tending toward growth. Due to the tumour's malignant potential, laparoscopic examination was performed. A spherical tumour with a base in the jejunum mesentery was observed. It was removed without damage. The post-operative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 3 days after the operation without complications. Histological diagnosis showed this to be a Schloffer tumour, but no malignancy was observed. Unidentified intraperitoneal tumours in patients with surgical histories may be Schloffer tumours, and this should be kept in mind.

Inflammatory Pseudotumor Formation at a Port Site after Robotic Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Inflammatory pseudotumors (IPTs) are benign masses arising from nonspecific inflammatory conditions including surgical invasion. We herein report the rare case of an IPT mimicking port-site metastasis in a 69-year-old patient who underwent retroperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy for stage T1a renal cell carcinoma. Radiological examination performed six months after the surgery revealed the presence of a mass underneath the abdominal wall which coincided with a port site. The tumor was resected by laparoscopic transperitoneal approach, and histological examination led to the diagnosis of an IPT that consists of xanthogranulomatous inflammation. We also discuss the etiology of IPT formation and features distinguishing IPTs from port-site metastasis.

Suture-induced arthritis as a clinical mimicker of septic arthritis

Foreign body-induced arthritis is a rare etiology of mono-arthritis. It should be suspected in the case of postoperative arthritis, even if some decades have passed since surgery. Histopathology of the tissues is required for a definitive diagnosis, and debridement is essential for complete recovery.