T1 pancreatic body cancer in which serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination is useful for the diagnosis

Abstract

A 71-year-old man presented with pancreatic cancer. Disease was suspected based on ultrasound findings during a health examination. CT showed dilatation of the main pancreatic duct at the pancreatic tail, stenosis of the main pancreatic duct, and atrophy of the pancreatic body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed stenosis of the main pancreatic duct and several small cystic lesions in the pancreatic body. Endoscopic ultrasound did not identify a pancreatic tumor; thus, fine-needle aspiration could not be performed. Therefore we performed serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination and the pancreatic juice cytology yielded a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Based on the diagnosis of pancreatic body cancer, we performed subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histopathological findings revealed pancreatic body cancer (T1 N0 M0).