Heterotopic pancreatic tissue in the gastric antrum an incidental finding during bariatric surgery: A case report and literature review

Ectopic pancreatic tissue in stomach: A case report

Introduction and importance

Ectopic Pancreas (EP) is a rare condition that is mostly found in the Gastrointestinal tract and especially in the stomach. Although the lesion is mainly asymptomatic, non-specific symptoms can be present, making the diagnosis even more challenging.

Case presentation

In our case a 52-year-old woman, with heartburn as the only symptom, was undergone successive examinations, indicating a subepithelial lesion in the antrum of the stomach, from which only Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) indicated the presence of ectopic pancreas, while Computed Tomography results considered the mass as Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor. Wedge gastrectomy was performed in order to extract the lesion and the histopathological examination confirmed the findings of the MRI. The patient fully recovered with no complications.

Clinical discussion

In most cases, EP is described in endoscopy as a subepithelial mass with normal mucosa. As EP can mimic other subepithelial masses, even adenocarcinoma, it is of utmost importance not to omit the performance of surgical removal and histopathological examination. Consequently, resection is essential not only for the diagnosis but also for the treatment of the patient.

Conclusion

EP is not a usually detected clinical pathology. There is no specific algorithm, which physicians should follow in order to reach the diagnosis without the surgical intervention. For this reason, clinicians should be conscious of the existence of EP in the stomach.

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Ectopic pancreas (EP) is mostly found in the gastrointestinal tract.

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EP in stomach first considered as a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST).

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Resection is essential for the diagnosis and for the treatment of the patient.

Jejunal Ectopic Pancreas: A Rare Cause of Small Intestinal Mass

Ectopic pancreas (EP) is defined as the presence of pancreatic tissue outside the pancreas with no anatomical connection to the pancreas. It is also known as pancreatic heterotopia, accessory pancreas, aberrant pancreas, or pancreatic rest. The first case of EP was described in 1727 when pancreatic tissue was identified in the ileal diverticulum. Abdominal pain and lower gastrointestinal bleeding are the most common symptoms. On histopathological examination, EP can be classified into four subtypes. Once identified and diagnosed, the treatment is surgical resection and the post-operative course is asymptomatic in most cases. We describe a rare case of EP, which was discovered on the CT scan of the abdomen as a jejunal mass and successfully treated with surgical resection. We have also described the possible role of chromogranin A for diagnosing EP cases and for post-operative follow-up.

Management of gastric ectopic pancreas identified in preoperative evaluation of bariatric surgery - A case report

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The diagnosis of rare gastric lesions has become more frequent after the increase in bariatric surgery.

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The preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery showed two lesions suggestive of Gastric Ectopic Pancreas.

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The previous identification of these lesions provides better surgical planning.

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Intraoperative Upper Endoscopy was used to identify the location of these lesions.

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Simultaneous laparoscopic resection of the lesions associated with Sleeve Gastrectomy was performed.

Background

The diagnosis of gastric lesions, such as the Ectopic Gastric Pancreas (GEP), has become more frequent after the increase in bariatric surgeries. The most frequently used surgical options are: Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB). The scientific papers about GEP in Bariatric Surgery consisted of intraoperative findings, approach the lesion with gastrectomy and the need to change the initial surgical strategy of the Sleeve for others techniques which allow extended gastric resections.

Presentation of case

This is a report on a 21-year-old female patient with class 3 obesity whose preoperative evaluation showed two lesions suggestive of GEP. Simultaneous surgical video-laparoscopic treatment of lesions associated with SG aided by intraoperative Upper Endoscopy (UE) was performed with no perioperative complications.

Conclusion

It is possible to associate the treatment of rare gastric lesions with traditional surgery techniques for obesity.

Ectopic pancreas: A rare cause of occult gastrointestinal bleeding

Ectopic pancreas (EP) is a rare entity characterized by the development of pancreatic tissue in areas other than the pancreas. We present the case of a 16-year-old female with a heterotopic pancreas in the jejunum revealed by occult gastrointestinal bleeding. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed a 2 × 3 cm enhancing nodular jejunal mass suspicious of a neuroendocrine or gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Octreoscan was planned but the patient presented in the emergency department with fever and sudden onset severe abdominal pain. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy. On abdominal exploration, appendicular perforation was present for which appendectomy and peritoneal lavage were performed. The small jejunal lesion seen on CT was identified during surgery and segmental jejunal resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The histopathological examination of the jejunal mass revealed the presence of pancreatic acini and ductal structures without islets of Langerhans in the submucosa of the small intestine covered by normal mucosa. At the last follow-up of eight months after surgery, the patient is symptom-free and the abdominal CT is normal. Preoperative diagnosis of EP requires high clinical suspicion and should be included in the differential diagnosis while treating patients with gastrointestinal bleeding or gastrointestinal mass on CT.

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Ectopic pancreas (EP) is a rare entity characterized by the development of pancreatic tissue in areas other than the pancreas.

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It is often asymptomatic and mostly detected incidentally on surgery for other disease or on autopsy.

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The most common sites of EP are stomach and small intestine but it can be found in the esophagus, ileum, and biliary tree.

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EP should be included in the differential diagnosis while treating patients with gastrointestinal bleeding or gastrointestinal mass on CT.