A case of a very small pancreatic serous cystadenoma

Abstract

We report a case of a very small pancreatic serous cystadenoma. A 43-year-old man was hospitalized for repeat pancreatitis. Computed tomography (CT) showed swelling of the pancreatic tail and dilatation of the main pancreatic duct at the tail. After the acute pancreatitis subsided, CT still showed dilatation of the main pancreatic duct in the tail ; no tumors were detected. Neither on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) nor on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT were tumor lesions visualized. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed stenosis of the main pancreatic duct at the tail and dilatation of the distal duct. On cytology, pancreatic juice was negative for malignant cells. Since small pancreatic cancer could not be ruled out, the patient had a pancreatectomy of the body and tail along with a splenectomy. On pathology cuboidal epithelium (tubular and papillary), was found to be partly positive for PAS staining. A diagnosis of a serous cystadenoma, about 2 mm in diameter, in the main pancreatic duct was made.