Brunner's gland adenoma: Lessons learned for 48 cases

The Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of 71 Duodenal Brunner's Gland Adenomas with Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes of patients with duodenal Brunner's gland adenomas (BGAs) that were treated endoscopically.

METHODS

We identified 71 consecutive patients treated at our center with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for their duodenal tumors diagnosed pathologically as BGAs over the period between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2021. We retrospectively analyzed our experience and short- and long-term outcomes of ESD therapy on patients with BGAs.

RESULTS

Among 71 BGA patients with an average age of 57 ± 11.7 years (range: 30-82), 48 (67.6%) were male and 23 (32.4%) were female. The accuracy of preoperative diagnosis with endoscopic ultrasonography was 44.0% (22/50). The H. pylori infection was found in 29 patients (29/71, 40.8%). The median size of BGAs was 1.5 cm (interquartile range [IQR] 0.8-2.7 cm). The most common location was the duodenum bulb (50/71, 64.8%). For the ESD procedure, the median operation time was 15.0 min (IQR 9.5-25.5 min). The en bloc and the complete resection rates were 97.2% and 92.3%, respectively. ESD-related mild acute obstructive pancreatitis was present in 2 patients (2/4, 50%) with BGAs located in the ampulla region. During the follow-up period, 1 patient with a positive peripheral margin experienced tumor recurrence 2 years after the initial ESD. There was no disease-related death for the cohort.

CONCLUSION

ESD was an effective and safe therapeutic option for BGA patients with excellent outcomes. Long-term follow-up is needed.

Brunner’s gland hyperplasia associated with lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report

BACKGROUND

Brunner’s gland hyperplasia (BGH) is a rare benign lesion of the duodenum. Lipomatous pseudohypertrophy (LiPH) of the pancreas is an extremely rare disease. Because each condition is rare, the probability of purely coincidental coexistence of both conditions is extremely low.

CASE SUMMARY

We report a 26-year-old man presenting to our hospital with symptoms of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a huge pedunculated polypoid lesion in the duodenum with bleeding at the base of the lesion. Histopathological examination of the duodenal biopsy specimens showed BGH. Besides, abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked fat replacement over the entire pancreas, confirmed by histopathological evaluation on percutaneous pancreatic biopsies. Based on the radiological and histological findings, LiPH of the pancreas and BGH were diagnosed. The patient refused any surgical intervention. Therefore, he was managed with supportive treatment. The patient’s symptoms improved and there was no further bleeding.

CONCLUSION

This is the first well-documented case showing the coexistence of LiPH of the pancreas and BGH.

Brunner's Gland Hamartoma of the Duodenum: A Literature Review

Brunner's gland hamartoma is a benign tumor of the duodenum, but has malignant potential with a very low risk of progression into adenocarcinoma. It is uncommon with a frequency of less than 1.0% among the primary tumors of the small intestine. In addition, its clinical manifestations are nonspecific, etiology remains unclear, and treatment strategy needs to be further refined. This literature review mainly discusses the epidemiology, clinical features, possible etiology and pathogenesis, diagnostic methods, malignant potential, treatment, and prognosis of Brunner's gland hamartoma.