An unusual anatomic location of pancreatic masses.
By use of accepted criteria, all masses anterior to the splenic vein are thought to arise from the pancreas, whereas all masses posterior to the vein are attributed to other retroperitoneal organs. Three patients with pancreatic masses are presented. Since the mass was posterior to the splenic vein in these cases, a pancreatic origin did not originally suggest itself.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000232:Adenofibroma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014463:Ultrasonography