title: Ectopic pancreas in the anterior mediastinum.
abstract: We report an uncommon clinical case of anterior mediastinal localization of ectopic pancreatic tissue. A 39-year-old male was referred to our institution for investigation of an abnormal mediastinal shadow on a chest X-ray, and a large cystic lesion measuring 10 x 8 cm located in the anterior mediastinum was observed on a computed tomographic scan. He underwent complete surgical resection of the lesion. The postoperative pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic mediastinal pancreas. No recurrence or metastasis was detected during a follow-up period of 8 years. We speculate that this lesion represents abnormal differentiation of the pluripotent epithelial cells of the ventral primary foregut. Details of the clinical and histopathological features are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Yamato
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahama
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kushibe
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010179:Pancreas; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed