A patient with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and severe acute pancreatitis: Case report

Abstract

A 64-year-old woman presented with acute abdominal pain. Severe acute pancreatitis was diagnosed by serum chemistry studies and enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan, and she was admitted. Enhanced abdominal CT scan and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 20mm hypervascular tumor containing a cyst in the uncinate process of the pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration led to the diagnosis of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and subtotal stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Acute pancreatitis is a rare complication of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. However, for patients where a tumor is located near the main pancreatic duct, care must be taken since such patients may develop acute pancreatitis and have a complicated clinical course.