Intrapancreatic accessory spleen imitating a pancreatic neoplasm

Abstract

Accessory spleens are present in 10% of population and are formed during embryonic development. Besides the splenic hilum, the next most frequent localization of accessory spleens is the pancreatic tail. Intrapancreatic accessory spleens are usually diagnosed occasionally and make diagnostic difficulty because they imitate a pancreatic neoplasm. We present the case of a 61-year old woman with a mass in the pancreatic tail, diagnosed by computed tomography. The patient was operated with suspicion of neuroendocrine tumor. Postoperative histopathological examination revealed the intrapancreatic accessory spleen. We present possibilities of differential diagnosis.