Massive retroperitoneal cyst impersonating ovarian tumor: A case report

• Published in: International journal of surgery case reports Vol. 97; p. 107393
• Main Authors: Alibrahim, Hidar, Al Ali, Amany, Bohsas, Haidara, Ahmed, Safaa Mohamed Alsharief, Ahmed, Eman Mohammed Sharif, Swed, Sarya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Case Report; Massive retroperitoneal cyst; Ovarian tumor; Massive retroperitoneal cyst; Case report; Ovarian tumor
• ISSN: 2210-2612; 2210-2612
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107393

The retroperitoneum is the anatomical compartment positioned behind the peritoneal cavity. It is separated into three primary spaces: the anterior pararenal, perirenal, and posterior pararenal spaces. Retroperitoneal cystic mass is a rare surgical problem that is often wrongly identified before surgery.
We report a case of a 27-year-old female presenting with abdominal swelling and pain starting from 9 months. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a right adnexal mass with a high probability of a serous ovarian. The patient was diagnosed with ovarian tumors before surgery, but it was identified with a retroperitoneal cyst during surgery.
A retroperitoneal cyst's clinical signs and symptoms vary, and the diagnosis can often be challenging. Computed tomography scans are appropriate for assessing retroperitoneal pathology because they produce separate sectional images and couldn't find the correct diagnosis in previous cases.
This paper shows the rare case of primary retroperitoneal lesions, which can be hard to diagnose before surgery, even though medical imaging has come a long way.
•A retroperitoneal cystic tumor is a very uncommon medical condition that is often misdiagnosed prior to surgery.•The diagnosis is made based on the patient's medical history as well as imaging using a computed tomography (CT) scan, which shows unilocular or multilocular thin-walled cyst lesions with watery liquids.•Although a CT scan can aid in the detection of these lesions, surgery is still the essential factor in identifying the diagnosis.•Clinical doctors should be aware in conducting early accurate diagnosis when facing like these lesions to avoid severe complications.