Isolated tubular duplication of the ascending colon: A case report

Abstract

Introduction

Enteric duplication cysts are rare congenital malformations, typically sharing a wall and blood supply with adjacent bowel. Isolated variants with independent vascularity and no luminal communication are extremely uncommon, particularly when arising from the colon.

Case presentation

A 3-year-old boy presented with intermittent right-sided abdominal pain for three months. Abdominal ultrasound showed a 4 x 3 × 3 cm cystic lesion in the right hemiabdomen. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed a 12-cm-long cystic lesion in the right hemiabdomen. The patient was taken to the operating room for an exploratory laparotomy. On exploration, a 12-cm tubular cystic structure was found arising from the anterolateral aspect of the ascending colon, with an independent vascular pedicle and no communication with the native colonic lumen. The lesion was completely excised without the need for a bowel resection. Histopathology confirmed a tubular enteric duplication lined by colonic mucosa and smooth muscle. The postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the child remains asymptomatic at 1 year of follow-up.

Conclusion

Isolated colonic duplication cysts with independent vascularity and no luminal communication are exceedingly rare but can cause chronic abdominal pain in children.