A case of cystic hygroma of the chest wall

Hygroma is generally regarded as a benign tumor occurring favoritely in the cervical region of a child. Recently we have experienced a case of hygroma which was initially detected as a right chest wall tumor in a 16-year-old man, then was surgically diagnosed as cystic hygroma; chest roentgenography on a check up examination in his senior high school pointed out some anomaly, leading to his hospitalization. On admission, he had no subjective symptom, but chest roentgenography and CT confirmed an abnormal shadow in the right pulmonary area and a tumor with calcification on the right chest wall, respectively, so he was operated on for excisional biopsy. The tumor was extirpated together with the 7th intercostal muscle adhered to the tumor, and postoperative pathohistological examination led to diagnosis as cystic hygroma. Cystic hygroma of the chest wall is so rare that we would like to report this case, together with some addition consideration of related literature.