Inagi E, Shimodan S, Amizuka H, Kigawa S, Shimizu Y, Nagashima K, Tanaka S. Pancreatic cancer initially presenting with a pseudocyst at the splenic flexure.
Pathol Int 2006;
56:558-62. [PMID:
16930338 DOI:
10.1111/j.1440-1827.2006.02006.x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis associated pseudocyst are not uncommon disorders. However, occurrence of the cancer with an initial manifestation of pseudocyst has been rarely reported. Surgery was performed on a 44-year-old male patient for an abscess-like cavity situated at the mesenteric side of the colon and extending from the splenic flexure to the descending colon. The lesion was verified as a pseudocyst with fat necrosis due to leakage of pancreatic fluid. When further surgery was carried out 1 month later in order to manage the drainage site of the pancreatic fluid, cancer of the pancreas body was detected proximal to the drainage site. The cancer was a moderately differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma with wide peripancreatic infiltration. It is thought that the cancer-associated duct obstruction caused a local pancreatitis resulting in a large communicating pseudocyst, although the exact mechanism remains unresolved. The present case may be instructive in showing physicians that a pseudocyst may obscure the presence of pancreatic cancer.
Collapse