Retrorectal cystic hamartoma: diagnosis with CT scan

Abstract

Retrorectal cystic hamartoma or "tailgut cyst" is a rare entity, resulting from embryonic remnants of the primary posterior intestine or Tailgut. Imaging essentially in slices allowed the diagnosis of the site and the anatomopathological approach of the lesion confirmed by the histological analysis of the operative parts. The main differential diagnoses are retrorectal teratoma, retrorectal epidermal cyst and rectal duplication. The main complications are recurrence, chronic inflammation leading to anal margin fistulas and carcinomatous degeneration. We report the case of a 40 year old female patient, with no particular pathological history, who consulted for pelvic heaviness