Laparoscopic Excision of an Unusual Presentation of a Nabothian Cyst: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Nabothian cysts are mucinous retention cysts formed through the accumulation of cervical mucus inside blocked cervical crypts leading to non-neoplastic mucinous cystic lesion in relation to the uterine cervix. The formation of Nabothian cysts is a common gynecological benign condition in women of reproductive age. While the presence of small-sized Nabothian cysts is usually clinically asymptomatic and requires no treatment or intervention, the diagnosis of larger Nabothian cysts can be mistaken with malignant tumors, including mucin producing carcinomas such as Adenoma malignum. In this study, we report the case of a large Nabothian cyst that was correctly diagnosed preoperatively using ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and successfully treated through laparoscopic excision, avoiding the performance of unnecessary hysterectomy. A 44-year old Lebanese patient presented with chronic dyspareunia and pelvic pain. An ultrasound was performed and revealed an 8cm multiloculated anechoic pelvic cystic lesion with no solid components. An MRI was performed and showed an 8cm mass lateral to the right vaginal wall, suggestive of a Nabothian cyst. The patient was scheduled for laparoscopic removal of the Nabothian cyst. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged under stable condition a few hours after the operation. Careful preoperative examination, including the use of imaging methods such as ultrasonogoraphy and MRI, is crucial for diagnosis and differentiation of atypical presentation of benign, but large and complex, Nabothian cysts from other differential conditions of malignancies, consequently avoiding unnecessary hysterectomy. Use of laparoscopy as a minimally-invasive technique to excise such cysts is considered a valid option, allowing for a fast recovery for the patients.