Adrenal pseudocyst: Diagnosis and laparoscopic management - A case report

Int J Surg Case Rep. 2011;2(8):306-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2011.10.002. Epub 2011 Oct 12.

Abstract

Cysts of the adrenal gland are rare and are usually discovered incidentally. Large adrenal cysts can however present with severe abdominal pain and can be complicated by haemorrhage, rupture or infection. Adrenal pseudocysts appear to result from haemorrhage within a normal adrenal gland and can expand to accommodate massive amounts of fluid.We report the case of a 39-year-old woman who presented with worsening right upper quadrant pain. An ultrasound scan of the abdomen confirmed a large 29 cm × 20 cm × 17 cm cyst that appeared to originate in the upper pole of the right kidney causing displacement of the liver and right kidney.Following complete aspiration the cyst re-accumulated and an MRI scan demonstrated a thickened and irregular cyst wall with haemorrhagic fluid. Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was performed and the histopathological diagnosis was confirmed as an adrenal pseudocyst.

Keywords: Adrenal; Adrenalectomy; Diagnosis; Laparoscopic; Pseudocyst.