Lin ZQ, Li X, Yang Y, Wang Y, Zhang XY, Zhang XX, Guo J. Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours misdiagnosed as autoimmune pancreatitis: A case report and review of literature.
World J Clin Cases 2022;
10:4886-4894. [PMID:
35801029 PMCID:
PMC9198893 DOI:
10.12998/wjcc.v10.i15.4886]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours are difficult to diagnose in the early stage of disease due to a lack of clinical symptoms, but they can rarely manifest as autoimmune pancreatitis. Autoimmune pancreatitis is an uncommon disease that may cause recurrent acute pancreatitis and is therefore often regarded as a special type of chronic pancreatitis.
CASE SUMMARY
We report a case of a 42-year-old female who had nonspecific upper abdominal pain for 4 years and radiological abnormalities of the pancreas that mimicked autoimmune pancreatitis. The symptoms and pancreatic imaging did not improve following 1 year of steroid therapy. Finally, pancreatic biopsy was performed through endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours were ultimately diagnosed. Pancreatectomy has resolved her symptoms.
CONCLUSION
Therefore, the differentiation of nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours from autoimmune pancreatitis is very important, although it is rare. We propose that endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy should be performed if imaging characteristics are equivocal or the diagnosis is in question.
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