Lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas in a patient with cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B

Abstract

Lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas was found at autopsy in a 52-year-old Japanese woman with cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B. Clinically, there were no clear symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency during the entire course. Marked atrophy and fat deposition of the pancreas had already been detected by computed tomography (CT) at least 6 years before her death. She died of hepatic failure due to decompensated cirrhosis. Autopsy revealed uniform enlargement of the pancreas due to massive fat replacement (lipomatous pseudohypertrophy): the exocrine glandular elements showed marked atrophy and loss, while the islets of Langerhans were preserved. Although the etiology and pathogenesis of lipomatous pseudohypertrophy is still unclear, this case suggests that this condition is causally related to chronic hepatitis B or other chronic advanced hepatic lesions.