Plexiform neurofibroma involving the ascending colonic mesentery in neurofibromatosis type I

We report a rare case of plexiform neurofibroma involving the ascending colonic mesentery in von Recklinghausen disease. A 20-yr-old male with neurofibromatosis type I was admitted because of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. On physical examination, there were multiple café-au-lait spots over the patient's entire body. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a hypodense mass in the ascending colonic mesentery. He underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete excision of the mass. The histological examination showed that the mass consisted of wavy, long-spindled cells, and the immunohistochemical stain for S-100 protein confirmed the mass to be a neurofibroma of the mesentery. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and no signs of recurrence 16 mo after operation.