Mesenteric cysts. A case treated by laparoscopy and a review of the literature.

Mesenteric cysts are one of the rarest abdominal tumors. Since the first report of a mesenteric cyst by Benevienal in 1507, only 820 cases have been reported. The symptoms depend on the size and location of the cyst. The main presenting symptom is abdominal pain, followed by nausea and vomiting. Some mesenteric cysts may present as an acute abdomen due to a possible complication, such as hemorrhage, rupture, or torsion of the cyst. The treatment of choice for mesenteric cyst is complete excision to avoid recurrence and possible malignant transformation. We report an additional case of mesenteric cyst which, to our knowledge, is the first to be treated by laparoscopy.