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Case Reports
. 2011 Jun;80 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S55-8.
doi: 10.4174/jkss.2011.80.Suppl1.S55. Epub 2011 Jun 17.

Cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas mimicking pancreatic pseudocyst

Ho Hyun Kim  1 , Eun Kyu Park, Jin Shick Seoung, Young Hoe Hur, Yang Seok Koh, Jung Chul Kim, Chol Kyoon Cho, Hyun Jong Kim
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas mimicking pancreatic pseudocyst

Ho Hyun Kim et al. J Korean Surg Soc. 2011 Jun.

Abstract

Lymphangiomas are rare congenital benign tumors arising from the lymphatic system, and are mostly encountered in the neck and axillary regions of pediatric patients (95%). Lymphangioma of the pancreas is extremely rare accounting for less than 1% of these tumors. We report here on a case of pancreatic cystic lymphangioma. A 54-year-old woman presented with intermittent postprandial abdominal discomfort and radiating back pain. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed 8 × 6.5 cm hypodense cystic mass arising from the tail of the pancreas without septa or solid component. The initial impression was a pancreatic pseudocyst. The patient underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. The histopathologic and immunohistochemical study helped make the diagnosis of a pancreatic cystic lymphangioma. Herein, we report a case of pancreatic cystic lymphangioma mimicking pancreatic pseudocyst and review the relevant medical literature.

Keywords: Cystic lymphangioma; Pancreas; Pseudocyst; Surgical excision.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Abdominal computed tomography (CT) findings. The abdominal CT scan reveals an approximately 8 × 6.5 cm-sized well-circumscribed homogenous cystic mass arising from the tail of the pancreas without septa or enhancing solid portion.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Gross findings of cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas. The gross pathologic examination reveals an approximately 7 × 6.5 cm-sized mass containing a milky fluid in the pancreatic body.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Microscopic findings. (A) Histologically, the tumor is composed of dilated lymphatic vessels, and contained homogenous eosinophilic material (H&E, ×100). (B) Immunohistochemical finding shows positive endothelial-lined cells in immunostaining by D2-40 (×100).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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