Hemosuccus pancreaticus in a heterotopic jejunal pancreas

Abstract

Heterotopic pancreas is a congenital anomaly defined as pancreatic tissue occurring outside its normal anatomical location, lacking both anatomic and vascular connections. Ninety percent of heterotopic pancreas is found in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms, when present, are normally non-specific and include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and bleeding. However, aberrant pancreas is not often recognized as patients are usually symptom-free. We report on a 29 year-old man with acute and severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage through the duct of an aberrant pancreas located in the upper jejunum, without clinical or histological evidence of pancreatic inflammation. We believe that our case is the first description of a pancreatic ductal hemorrhage in an aberrant pancreas.