A Case of Lymphangioma of the Stomach Removed by Endoscopic Strip Biopsy

Hajime Nakayama, Masao Nunomura, Norio Saito, Hiromi Sarashina

First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Chiba University

The patient was a 53-year-old man. Upper gastrointestinal X-ray examination revealed a submucosal tumor in the anterior wall of the stomach. On endoscopic ultrasonographic examination, the tumor was found to be a multiple cystic lesion limited to the submucosal layer and clearly separated from the surrounding tissue. By aspiration cytology, the contents of the cysts were found to be fluid with abundant lymphocytes. From these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as lymphangioma of the stomach. Based on the fact that lymphangioma is benign in nature and the present tumor was located in the submucosa, the tumor was removed by endoscopic strip biopsy on May 1, 1990. The pathologic diagnosis was cystic lymphangioma of the stomach. There was no recurrence by 1.5 year after removal of the tumor. The majority of lymphangiomas of the stomach have been treated surgically so far under a tentative preoperative diagnosis of cystic lesion of the stomach. However, lymphangioma of the stomach has come to be diagnosed correctly with the aid of endoscopic ultrasonographic examination and aspiration cytology. Therefore, it was thought that lymphangioma of the stomach could be removed endoscopic strip biopsy without unnecessary surgical intervention.

Key words
lymphangioma of the stomach, endoscopic strip biopsy

Reprint requests
Hajime Nakayama First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Chiba University
1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 280 JAPAN

Accepted
April 1, 1992

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