A Giant Intra-abdominal Small Intestinal Desmoid Tumor – A Rare Case Report

Desmoid tumors, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, are benign neoplasms originating from mesenchymal cells or fibroblasts. Despite their benign nature, these tumors are locally aggressive and do not metastasize distantly. They account for less than 3% of all soft tissue tumors and have an incidence of approximately 0.03% among all neoplasms.

Primary desmoid tumors of the small intestinal wall are particularly rare, with the most common site of origin being the mesentery, retroperitoneum, or small bowel wall. While extra-abdominal desmoid tumors occur in about 60% of cases, with 25% arising from the anterior abdominal wall and 15% being intra-abdominal, those originating from the small bowel are exceedingly uncommon. Such tumors often present as an abdominal mass.

For preoperative diagnosis and surgical planning, abdominal CT and MRI are the preferred imaging modalities. Surgical resection with negative margins remains the cornerstone of effective treatment.

In this report, we present a rare case of a giant intra-abdominal desmoid tumor arising from the small intestine in a 45-year-old female. The diagnosis was confirmed via CT, and the patient is scheduled for open surgical resection.