A Case of Lymphoepithelial Cyst of the Pancreas Associated with Elevated Serum CA19−9 Level

Abstract

A 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for the treatment of a hemorrhagic gastric ulcer. Blood tests revealed abnormal elevation of the serum CA19-9 level (1,290.0 U/ml). Abdominal CT showed a 50-mm multilocular cystic lesion in the tail of the pancreas. MRI showed the lesion as a low intensity on T1-weighted imaging, and as a high intensity on T2-weighted imaging. Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed, because we could not rule out malignancy. Histopathological examination revealed that the cyst wall was lined with squamous epithelium and surrounded by lymphoid tissue. Based on these findings, the histopathologic diagnosis was lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas. Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas is a rare benign lesion, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the pancreas. We reported a case of resected lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas that was associated with abnormal elevation of the serum CA19-9 level.