Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) have been believed to be uncommon, but the incidence of PNETs is increasing in recent years. In typical cases of PNET, it appears as a hypervascular solid tumor with the homogeneous inner part. We have experienced a case of non-functional PNET showing atypical imaging findings which was surgically resected.
The patient was a 40-year-old man who was pointed out having a 30 mm-sized pancreatic tumor on an abdominal ultrasonography at a medical checkup. The tumor was hypovascular and was associated with cystic components and calcification. FDG-PET scan showed abnormal uptake of FDG at the tumor. The most likely diagnosis was solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) or non-functional PNET, and spleen-preserving resection of the pancreas tail and body was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was non-functional PNET.
It is still obscure why this tumor was hypovascular, but the cystic components might be caused by hemorrhage within the tumor.
