Bronchogenic cyst masquerading as an adrenal tumor: a case of mistaken identity.

Objective: To describe a patient with a bronchogenic cyst that was erroneously diagnosed as an adrenal tumor and the surgical management strategy to address the operative challenges.

Methods: We summarize the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, surgical management, and pathologic features of the study patient and review the pertinent literature.

Results: In this report, we present the case of a 23-year-old woman who underwent retroperitoneoscopic exploration after imaging identified an enlarging left adrenal lesion. Preoperative biochemical testing confirmed that the mass was nonfunctional. No lesion was found after a thorough retroperitoneoscopic exploration under standard high insufflation pressure. Serendipitously, low-pressure inspection for hemostasis after failed exploration enabled discovery of an intradiaphragmatic mass that proved to be a bronchogenic cyst rather than an adrenal tumor. Not only was this a difficult operative dilemma, but it was also an unusual presentation for this tumor.

Conclusions: Discovery of a retroperitoneal or intradiaphragmatic bronchogenic cyst is a rare occurrence. The unusual location and tumor characteristics contributed to near surgical failure. The fortuitous surgical strategy of low-pressure inspection allowed visualization of the tumor for definitive resection.