Abdominal Lump: A Diagnostic Dilemma

Abstract

Abdomen is a Pandora's Box. During our routine patient evaluation we come across different types of abdominal lumps out of which some are straight forward and diagnosed after routine clinical examinations and available investigations. At times these abdominal lumps present differently from their usual presentations and create confusions despite undergoing necessary investigations. The truth is explored only after opening the Pandora's Box. We present a case of 21 years old male who presented with history of gradually increasing right sided upper abdominal lump of three years duration. He was thoroughly investigated with USG and CT scan abdomen along with other supportive investigations and was diagnosed to have Hydatid cyst of liver. Accordingly patient was prepared for surgery and it was only at the time of laparotomy that he was found to have right sided giant hydronephrosis with a nonviable renal parenchymal tissue. He underwent right sided nephrectomy and had a good postoperative recovery. So at times the abdominal lumps keep on creating diagnostic dilemmas. Key words: abdominal lump, giant hydronephrosis