Laparoscopic excision of a gastric duplication cyst detected on antenatal ultrasound scan

The authors report a gastric duplication cyst detected antenatally and its subsequent laparoscopic removal at 2 months of age. Before birth, a cystic mass was detected behind the stomach on fetal ultrasound scan (US). After birth, an US, barium meal, nuclide scan, and cervical and thoracic vertebral x-rays suggested that the most probably diagnosis was a gastric duplication cyst. At 2 months of age, laparoscopic removal of the cyst was performed with closure of the muscle defect in the stomach wall. The patient was discharged 4 days later, feeding normally. Histology findings confirmed the diagnosis of a gastric duplication cyst. After the antenatal detection of a cyst behind the stomach, the laparoscopic removal of this gastric duplication in a 2 month old was accomplished without complications. This appears to be the first reported case using this type of procedure in an infant.