Conservative ultrasound-guided laparoscopic treatment of posttraumatic splenic cysts: report of two cases.

Recently, laparoscopic splenectomy has been reported by various authors. Further advancement of this minimally invasive surgery is the conservative treatment of nonneoplastic lesions of the spleen. The authors report two clinical cases in which the laparoscopic approach has been employed to treat a large posttraumatic cyst of the spleen. Using a specifically developed ultrasound probe for laparoscopic surgery, the authors identified the thinnest area of the wall in two large intraparenchymal posttraumatic splenic cysts (diameters: 11 and 8 cm). After an explorative puncture, the orifice was enlarged using electrocautery scissors. The opening of the cyst was further enlarged and a 35-mm ELC stapler with vascular cartridges was applied in order to resect as possible the cyst wall and to obtain an adequate hemostasis of the splenic parenchima. Both postoperative courses were uneventful, and the patients were discharged on day 5 after a negative ultrasound examination of the abdomen. This is the first report of successful conservative treatment of a large posttraumatic cyst by laparoscopic surgery.