Cytology of papillary solid-cystic neoplasm of the pancreas presenting as an extrapancreatic mass: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Papillary solid cystic neoplasm (PSCN) of the pancreas is a tumor of low malignant potential and has an excellent prognosis. Although the cytologic features are well documented, it can pose a diagnostic problem when it presents as an extrapancreatic mass.


METHODS
A young woman presented with a retroperitoneal mass. Sonography and computed tomography (CT) showed a partially cystic mass touching the spleen and pancreas but distinct from both organs. The CT-guided aspiration cytologic diagnosis was paraganglioma. At surgery the mass was attached to the tail of the pancreas by a pedicle. The histologic diagnosis was PSCN of the pancreas.


CONCLUSIONS
The cytologic findings in paraganglioma and PSCN may be strikingly similar, with both showing a perivascular pattern, acinar formations, cells with a moderate amount of ill-defined cytoplasm with red granularity on May-Grünwald Giemsa stain and a uniform chromatin pattern. This may be a source of diagnostic error, particularly in a patient presenting with a retroperitoneal, extrapancreatic mass.
Deshpande
Archana
A
Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, India. ahdesh@nagpur.dot.net.in
Munshi
Maitreyee
M
D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000175:diagnosis; D018292:Cystadenoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed