Para-aortic lymphocyst.

Although numerous articles regarding the etiology, incidence, complications, and management of pelvic lymphocysts have been published in the American literature since 1958, there has been no mention of para-aortic lymphocyst as a complication of para-aortic node dissection. Two recent cases of symptomatic para-aortic lymphocyst have prompted a review of our para-aortic node dissection technique when this procedure is not combined with a more extensive pelvic lymphadenectomy. Our modification in technique is to use retroperitoneal para-aortic drainage by constant pressure-controlled suction following closure of the posterior parietal peritoneum, and the results in our first 15 patients are presented. There were no complications related to the drainage technique. Abdominal ultrasound and intravenous urography have proved to be excellent diagnostic tools in the initial evaluation and subsequent follow-up of para-aortic lymphocytes.