Abstract
A 40-year-old woman who was seen at the hospital because of upper abdominal pain was found having an 8-cm diameter tumor with an internal echo showing a heterogeneous pattern at the pancreas body by abdominal ultrasonography. Abdominal CT scan showed a sharply demarcated tumor with a low density center and a slightly high density margin. Dynamic CT scan did not enhance the tumor. No abnormal findings were noted on blood examinations and tumor marker tests. Based on preoperative imaging procedures, no definite diagnosis could be gained and a possibility of malignancy could not be ruled out. Accordingly we performed surgery. The tumor existed on the anterior surface of the pancreas body and was a sharply demarcated and elastic-soft oval-sphere. Incision drainage of the capsule of the surface resulted in overflow of massive hematoma. We removed these blood clots and the tumor including the entire capsule as far as possible, taking care not to injure the pancreas parenchyma at the back of the tumor. The histopathological diagnosis of the tumor was cavernous hemangioma. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the 12th postoperative day.
