Lipoma of the transverse colon: Review of literature and a case report in a young Nigerian female

Abstract

Colonic lipomas are rare benign tumour of the gastrointestinal tract(GIT); however, they remain the commonest nonepithelial(mesenchymal) benign neoplasm of the GIT tract. The majority remains asymptomatic. They can mimic malignant tumours of the GI tract. We present a review of literature and our experience with the management of a case of this rare tumour. A 35year old woman presented to us with an upper abdominal pain of six weeks,vomiting and passage of bloody mucoid stool of four weeks. A huge palpable mass in the epigastric region. Contrast-enhanced Computed tomography revealed a well-defined, 18cm, fatty tissue mass in the transverse colon. She had a right hemicolectomy. Histology confirmed the diagnosis revealing a submucous lipoma. One year follow up, she remained symptom-free with no evidence of recurrence. This study raises the awareness of this rare tumour as a cause of GIT symptoms and highlights the challenges in differentiating it from the more common malignancy of the colon. Keywords: Colonic lipoma, lipoma of transverse colon, Non-epithelial tumour Nigerian female