Late-onset superficial lymphatic malformation:: Report of a case and review of the literature

Background. Superficial lymphatic malformations are predominantly developmental malformations of infancy, but they may arise at any age. Objective. To describe a patient with a late-onset superficial lymphatic malformation. Methods. Case report and literature review. Results. A 53-year-old woman was evaluated for a colored lesion that developed spontaneously on the anterior abdominal wall. The lesion was treated by surgical excision. Findings on histopathologic examination of the specimen were consistent with superficial lymphatic malformation. There was no recurrence of the lesion at 4 months after the operation. Conclusion. Superficial lymphatic malformations can develop in adults spontaneously without the presence of any predisposing condition. Because the majority of such late-onset malformations reported in the literature are localized lesions similar to the one in our patient, surgical removal with inclusion of subcutaneous tissue usually results in cure without recurrence.