Cecal duplication cyst in an infant presenting as shock: A case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Although intestinal obstruction is one of the most common surgical emergencies in an infant, it is difficult to diagnose neonatal enteric duplication cysts (EDC) preoperatively owing to their rarity as a cause of intestinal obstruction. We describe a case report of a neonatal EDC presenting intestinal obstruction and shock.

CASE SUMMARY

A 32-d-old male infant with a prenatal sonographic finding of bladder distension was admitted to our hospital for a severely distended abdomen, fever, and oliguria. The first diagnostic hypothesis was septic shock and intestinal obstruction. The patient’s symptoms worsened; following an emergency surgical exploratory laparotomy and histopathological findings, the final diagnosis of cecal duplication cyst was confirmed. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and on the fifth postoperative day, oral feeding restarted. Twenty days later, the patient was discharged from the hospital.

CONCLUSION

Although EDC located in the cecum is exceptional, it should be considered when evaluating suspected intestinal obstruction and shock.

Keywords: Duplication cyst; Cecum; Intestinal obstruction; Infant; Shock; Case report

Core Tip: Duplication cysts can present at any age with non-specific symptoms. An early diagnosis can help alleviate the symptoms with proper management, else these symptoms may progress to serious complications. This study presents a 32-d-old male child who presented with a severely distended abdomen with concomitant fever and oliguria. The provisional diagnosis was of septic shock which was later confirmed as a final diagnosis of cecal duplication cyst upon an emergency surgical laparotomy and histopathological findings of the excised mass. Although enteric duplication cyst located in the cecum is exceptional, it should be considered when evaluating suspected intestinal obstruction and shock.