A Case of Spontaneously Ruptured Anaplastic Carcinoma (Giant Cell Type) of the Pancreas with Intraabdominal Hemorrhage

Abstract

We report a case of spontaneously ruptured anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas. A 59-year-old man seen for abdominal pain was found in abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) to have a tumor of the pancreatic body and multiple metastatic liver tumors. He was admitted due to exacerbated symptoms. Abdominal CT showed a rapidly expanding tumor and marked ascites. Exploratory needle aspiration showed hemorrhagic ascites, necessitating emergency surgery under a diagnosis of intraabdominal hemorrhage. During surgery, we found bleeding from a ruptured tumor and conducted distal pancreatectomy. The pathological diagnosis was anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas. Despite postoperative chemotherapy, the man died of cancerous cachexia on postoperative day 18. Anaplastic carcinoma thus may cause spontaneous rupture during rapid tumor enlargement.