Cystadenoma of the pancreas: report of a case diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde pancreatography

The first case of a cystadenoma of the pancreas occurring in an African patient is reported. cystadenoma of the pancreas is a rare tumour. It should be suspected when a patient presents with a pancreatic cyst but without a history of pancreatitis, alcoholism or abdominal trauma. Estimation of the serum amylase level, selective coeliac and superior mesenteric arteriograms, and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) are helpful in making the preoperative diagnosis. The ERP appearances in cystadenoma of the pancreas are described.     

Echoscopic and echographic differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions

Combined echoscopic and echographic examination enables accurate display of the pancreatic region. Furthermore, this method yields reliable results in demonstrating pathological changes of the pancreas caused by acute pancreatitis, acute necrotising pancreatitis, pancreatic pseudocyst and neoplasm of the pancreas. The characteristic ultrasonographic findings in these diseases are presented and the differential diagnosis is briefly discussed.     

Management of cystic lesions of the tail of the pancreas

OBJECTIVE: To emphasize that although cystic pancreatic neoplasms are stated to make up only 10% of pancreatic cysts, this number may be significantly higher if patients who are misdiagnosed with pseudocysts are considered. DESIGN: A small case series. SETTING: A tertiary-care centre. PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of three patients with cystic lesions of the tail of the pancreas seen between 1992 and 1994. All three were women ranging in age from 28 to 42 years. Two had been treated previously for pancreatic pseudocysts by cystenterostomy. None had a history of pancreatitis or alcohol abuse, and gallstones were not present on ultrasonography. INTERVENTIONS: Distal pancreactectomy and splenectomy. RESULTS: The excised specimens from the two patients treated initially elsewhere revealed mucinous cystadenoma with atypia in one and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with invasion into stomach in the other. In the third patient, a cystic neuroendocrine tumour and two other intrapancreatic nodules of neuroendocrine tumour were found on pathological examination. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic neoplasms may be misdiagnosed as pancreatic pseudocysts. In patients without a history or risk factors for pancreatitis, a cystic pancreatic mass is not necessarily a pseudocyst, and such patients should be considered for pancreatic resection.     

A rare case of severe acute pancreatitis complicated with pancreatic pseudocysts, obstructive jaundice and intraperitoneal hemorrhage

A 58-year-old man visited our hospital because of back pain. Blood examinations revealed the presence of acute inflammation and an increase of pancreatic enzymes. Abdominal computed tomography indicated pseudocysts in the pancreas. The patient was diagnosed as having acute pancreatitis with pseudocysts formation. During the course of the disease, a newly formed pseudocyst in the pancreatic head compressed the common bile duct, leading to the obstructive jaundice. In addition, the rupture of a pseudocyst in the pancreatic tail caused intraperitoneal hemorrhage. This is an interesting case of acute pancreatitis with pseudocysts in which two rare complications developed.     

Duodenal duplication cyst communicating with an accessory pancreatic duct of Santorini

A 16 year-old girl with recurrent attacks of acute pancreatitis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding was found to have an aberrant pancreatic duct communicating with a duodenal duplication cyst and a pancreatic pseudocyst on endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP). A partial gastrectomy combined with resection of the aberrant pancreas was performed. The patient is doing well without any problems 17 years after surgery. ERP was of great value in diagnosing this rare disease. Gastroduodenal duplication cysts communicating with the pancreatic duct are rare; only 21 cases, including our own, have been reported in the English-language literature since 1958.     

Splenectomy: its place in operations for inflammatory disease of the pancreas

Involvement of the spleen or its vasculature in inflammatory disease of the pancreas may result in life-threatening hemorrhage. Retrospective analysis of six patients having direct splenic involvement and/or occlusion of the splenic vein secondary to pancreatitis or pseudocyst showed that removal of the spleen as a portion of an appropriately timed operation for complications of pancreatitis uniformly resulted in an uncomplicated course and survival (3 patients). Leaving the spleen in place when it was directly involved in a pseudocyst and/or when the splenic vein was occluded resulted in postoperative bleeding, the requirement for reoperation, and death from septic sequelae (2 patients). One patient died of progressive respiratory and renal failure because initial operation was inappropriately delayed. We recommend splenectomy as a portion of an appropriately timed operation for complications of pancreatitis when the splenic vessels are involved and/or when the spleen is directly involved in a pseudocyst or lesser sac collection.     

Is HMGIC rearranged due to cryptic paracentric inversion of 12q in karyotypically normal uterine leiomyomas?

A 71-year-old woman with a solitary mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreatic tail complained of back pain. A laproscopic distal pancreatectomy was performed. Laparosonic coagulating shears (LCS) were employed for dissection of the surrounding tissue and transection of the pancreas. The main pancreatic duct was clipped. There was no evidence of bleeding or pancreatic leakage from the transection surface. Pathologic examination showed the tumor to be a mucinous cystadenoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. The LCS was effective in this application.     

Inferior vena caval thrombosis associated with acute pancreatitis: an unusual vascular complication--its presentation and management

Vascular thrombosis and systemic hypercoagulable states are known complications of acute pancreatitis. They are thought to be secondary to the release of proteolytic enzymes of the pancreas. Inferior vena caval thrombosis is an extremely rare complication of chronic pancreatitis and has, to the authors' knowledge, never been reported in acute pancreatitis. The clinical presentation and radiographic findings are reviewed to illustrate the disease spectrum. Early treatment with intravenous heparin appears to be an effective therapy. Familiarity with this complication will aid physicians in its early diagnosis. However, a high degree of suspicion for this complication is necessary to make a diagnosis.     

The schwannoma: an uncommon type of cystic lesion of the pancreas

Schwannomas of the pancreas are rare and their number is lower than is usually reported in the literature since some were probably neurofibromas. We report a further case characterized by cystic feature, clinically mimicking a pancreatic pseudocyst. Cystic lesions of the pancreas also comprise the schwannomas, both benign or malignant, as has been previously reported and is stressed by the present case. Cyst formation characterizes many diseases of the pancreas, both neoplastic and not. Difficulties in the differential diagnosis of cysts are fortunately reduced by the preponderance of pseudocysts (i.e. non-neoplastic cysts) and, among neoplastic ones, of cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas. As a consequence, uncommon cystic neoplasms are neglected and very often misdiagnosed. We reported a case of solitary schwannoma mimicking a pancreatic pseudocyst, interesting both because of its rarity and because of its cystic feature which was previously reported in the literature but not emphasized.     

Brief history of the Spanish Society of Microbiology. V. From 1987 to 1991]

BACKGROUND/AIM: The clinical presentation, pancreatographic findings, and outcome of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous tumours have not been reported in a large patient series in the English literature. This study reviewed 32 patients diagnosed between 1980 and 1994, with special attention to these features. PATIENTS/METHOD: Data on 24 operated and eight non-operated patients were abstracted from inpatient, outpatient, and procedure records. RESULTS: Acute pancreatitis was the most common presentation seen in 56% of patients. Relapses occurred during an average of 43 months before diagnosis. A patulous papilla was observed in 55% of the cases. Endoscopic pancreatography showed communicating cysts, a diffusely dilated main pancreatic duct, and amorphous defects in 42, 71, and 97% respectively. An invasive carcinoma was found in nine of 24 (37.5%) of operated patients: six of the patients (66%) died or developed metastases within three years after surgery. No mortality was related to the tumour in absence of invasive carcinoma. Benign recurrence on the remaining pancreas was unusual and occurred late after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal papillary mucinous tumours must be considered in the differential diagnosis of relapsing pancreatitis. Despite slow growing, these tumours have an obvious malignant potential and a very poor prognosis when invasive carcinoma has developed. Early recognition and resection are the cornerstones of treatment.     

Solitary cystic tumor of the pancreas: EUS-pathologic correlation

BACKGROUND: It is clinically important to distinguish neoplastic from non-neoplastic pancreatic cysts. METHODS: Retrospective correlations were made between pathologic and EUS data from 52 pancreatic solitary cystic tumors: mucinous cystadenoma (10), mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (7), serous cystadenoma (5), ductectatic mucinous cystic tumor (10), solid and papillary epithelial neoplasm (5), and non-neoplastic cyst (15). The mean tumor size was 3.5 cm (range, 1.2 cm to 6.0 cm). RESULTS: Six classifications of the internal structures of these cysts were developed: thick wall type, tumor protruding type, thick septal type, microcystic type, thin septal type, and simple type. Although all neoplastic cysts belonged to the first four types, all non-neoplastic cysts belonged to the last two types. The accuracy of EUS for differentiating tumors was estimated at 96% and 92%, respectively, by two observers. CONCLUSIONS: EUS may become a mandatory modality for differentiating pancreatic solitary cystic tumors and choosing an optimal treatment.     

Gray-scale ultrasonic properties of the normal and inflamed pancreas

Eighty-seven examinations of the pancreas in 52 patients with acute or chronic pancreatitis and 31 examinations in 31 normal subjects were reviewed. Demonstration of the portal and splenic veins served as a guidepost to the pancreas. The normal pancreas was indistinguishable from the surrounding tissues in a substantial minority of examinations, and the ultrasonic characteristics of the normal pancreas were quite variable. Acute pancreatitis was found to be characterized by swelling, loss of internal echoes, and loss of distinction between the pancreas and splenic vein. In 50% of patients with chronic inactive pancreatitis, the pancreas could not be identified. Ultrasound should precede endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography whenever a pseudocyst might be present.     

Renal hydatidosis. Discussion of a clinical case complicated by post acute pancreatitic cyst

In this paper the authors describes a rare case of renal hydatidosis complicated by post acute pancreatitic cyst. There have been no reports up till now either of any physiopathological between the development of hydatid cysts in the vicinity of the pancreas and subsequent pancreatitis, or of any correlation between long-term albendazole therapy and acute pancreatitis. In our particular case, however, the volumetric increase of the renal cyst caused external compression of the pancreas and the consequent slowing-down of bilio-pancreatic flow, which probably led to the development of acute pancreatitis. Since, in our opinion, the pancreatic pseudocyst required surgical removal, we decided to perform the operation there and then; intraoperative examination of the cystic fluid and the presence of daughter cysts confirmed the suspected diagnosis of hydatidosis, of clear renal origin since it was closely attached to the upper pole and continued along the upper calyces renales; the cyst was easily detached from the lower and posterior edge of the liver, and was completely removed, together with its pericystium, which was detached from the lower surface of the liver and from the inferior subhepatic vein; only a tiny disk of pericystium was left in communication with a calyx, sutured to the rest of the kidney. The pancreatic cyst was drained by means of a mesocolic Roux-loop cysto-jejunostomy.     

Ultrasound in the management of acute pancreatitis

Thirty-eight patients have been examined by ultrasound when symptoms or sign suggested the development of a pseudocyst following an attack of proven acute pancreatitis. Pseudocyst was diagnosed in 23 of the 38 cases. Five patients had multilocular cysts, four of which were shown to be communicating. Laparotomy was carried out on 14 of the 23 patients and surgical drainage was performed in 12 cases. The remaining nine cases were monitored and showed steady regression. Small cysts arising in the head of pancreas may give rise to recurrent or persistent pancreatitis and may be demonstrated pre-operatively by ultrasound but not readily by other means. A further 12 patients showed an area of irregular absorption of ultrasound interpreted as an inflammatory mass. Monitoring of these cases showed progressive resolution without cyst formation. Three of these cases subsequently required laparotomy-one developed an abscess and one necrosis of the body and tail of pancreas while a third developed severe pancreatic fibrosis of the area identified by ultrasound. The ability to distinguish between pseudocysts and inflammatory masses and to demonstrate communication between multiple cysts is of considerable value in pre-operative diagnosis.     

Pancreatic mucin-producing adenocarcinoma associated with a pancreatic stone: report of a case

We present an autopsy case of an 83-year-old Japanese man with a mucin-producing adenocarcinoma accompanied by pancreatolithiasis in the head of the pancreas. He suffered from obstructive jaundice and died of disseminated intravascular coagulation. He did not normally drink alcohol and had no history of chronic pancreatitis. The autopsy findings revealed a mucinous cystic tumor, composed of multiple dilatated branches, in the head of the pancreas. Histological examinations showed papillary adenocarcinoma, which scirrhously infiltrated the distal common bile duct with perineural invasion and lymph node involvement. He was thus diagnosed to have mucin-producing branch-type cancer in the head of the pancreas. The main pancreatic duct was dilated, and the residual pancreatic tissue showed moderate fibrosis and parenchymal atrophy. A stone was observed in a dilated branch of the primary lesion. To the best of our knowledge, there have only been five previously reported cases of mucin-producing tumor associated with pancreatolithiasis. Intraductal calcification is a major characteristic of chronic pancreatitis, but it is clinically important not to misdiagnose cancers associated with pancreatolithiasis such as chronic pancreatitis.     

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia responding to anti-tuberculous treatment

We describe a very uncommon case of gastric duplication with heterotopic pancreas suggested by an acute pancreatitis and complicated by pseudocyst formation. Diagnostics, hypothesis and management are discussed.     

Respiratory kinesitherapy. For whom? Why do it?

Intussusception of the appendix vermiformis in adults is an uncommon event. The combination of a mucinous cystadenoma with an intussuscepted appendix is extremely rare. Clinical symptoms are nonspecific; in most cases the correct diagnosis is not made before surgical exploration. With the radiologic and endoscopic presentation of a polypoid lesion of the caecum, a neoplasm is often considered. Endoscopic appendectomy or disinvagination by enema have been described. Thus the definitive therapy is surgery and depends on the histological diagnosis.     

Practical estimation of the actual laboratory diagnostics of cholera

A series of 116 nonselected and consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis with a fatal outcome underwent necropsy and have been analyzed with special attention paid to hepatic findings and the cause of death. This series includes the total fatalities caused by the disease during a 15 year period from 1956 to 1970. All but two patients died in the first attack of acute pancreatitis. The patients were divided into four etiologic groups: gallstone disease, 43 per cent; alcoholism, 25 per cent; idiopathic origin, 18 per cent, and postoperative origin, following abdominal operations, 14 per cent. Over the three five-year periods, the frequency of alcohol abuse as a predisposing factor increased, while gallstone disease showed a corresponding decrease. About 75 per cent of the patients had hyperbilirubinemia. Half of these showed signs of cholestasis. Macroscopic steatosis of the liver was recorded in 62 per cent of the alcohol addicts and in about 25 per cent of the patients in the other etiologic groups. Shock and late sequelae of shock were the dominating immediate causes of death in 72 per cent. About 50 per cent of the fatalities occurred within the first week. Most of these early deaths were caused by intractable circulatory failure. Early death was most commonly caused by alcoholism, followed in frequency by gallstone disease. It is possible that impaired hepatic function contributes to the fatal outcome in both early and late phases of the disease.     

Splenic complications in chronic pancreatitis: prevalence and risk factors in a medical-surgical series of 500 patients

BACKGROUND: The prevalence, course, treatment, outcome and risk factors of splenic complications in chronic pancreatitis are poorly documented. METHODS: Patients with splenic complications in a medical-surgical series of 500 consecutive patients with proven chronic pancreatitis prospectively followed up for a mean of 7.0 years were compared with patients without splenic complications. RESULTS: Eleven men (2.2 per cent) with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (median duration 2 (range 0-5) years) had a splenic complication: intrasplenic pseudocyst (n=5), subcapsular haematoma (n=2) or splenic rupture (n=4). All patients except one underwent splenectomy, five of whom also underwent distal pancreatectomy. There were no deaths. Patients with splenic complications had pancreatic tail necrosis (six of 11 versus 17.4 per cent; P=0.007), distal pseudocyst (six of 11 versus 11.7 per cent; P=0.0009) or splenic vein occlusion (seven of 11 versus 10.8 per cent; P< 0.0001) more frequently than those without. In the 22 patients with distal pseudocyst and splenic vein occlusion, the prevalence of splenic complications was 18 per cent (odds ratio 15.0 (95 per cent confidence interval 4.0-55.7). CONCLUSION: Splenic complications occur early in the course of chronic pancreatitis, are rare and are favoured by splenic vein occlusion and pseudocyst or necrosis of the pancreatic tail. Surgical treatment is usually required.     

A clinical evaluation of isotope scanning, ultrasonography and computed tomography in pancreatic disease

In a prospective study of 46 patients with suspected pancreatic disease the provisional diagnoses arrived at independently by isotope scanning (IS), ultrasonography (USS) and computed tomography (CT) have been compared. In the control group, IS and CT were associated with a higher false positive rate than USS; The isotope scan was abnormal in most patients with proven chronic pancreatitis and cancer. The results from USS and CT were similar when structural changes were present. USS was superior in diagnosing pancreatic carcinoma and was a convenient means to follow the progression of acute pancreatitis to final resolution or the development of a pseudocyst. CT proved especially useful in accurately delineating cysts, pseudocysts and calculi prior to planning surgery and in assessing disease in contiguous viscera.