title: Acute pancreatitis associated with neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endocrine tumors are a less commonly known cause of acute pancreatitis. This report presents the case of a patient who have had acute pancreatitis secondary to a pancreatic endocrine neoplasm. The majority of the cases previously reported were non-functioning tumors and the pancreatitis tended to be mild. Moreover, the majority of the tumors were diagnosed in advanced stages, hindering curative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 31-year-old female patient presented with epigastric pain and a history of recurrent acute pancreatitis. Preoperative imaging investigation showed a dilation of the distal portion of the main pancreatic duct and intra-operative ultrasound demonstrated a mild stricture of the main pancreatic duct at the body of the pancreas. Frozen-section examination revealed a malignant neoplasm, subsequently identified as a neuroendocrine carcinoma, and a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. Acute pancreatitis was an early symptom in this patient who underwent a hopefully curative resection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors conclude that, in patients with acute pancreatitis of unknown origin, the possibility of a non-functioning neuroendocrine tumor should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine. São Paulo, Brazil. jjukemura@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jukemura
authors.forename: André Luis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Montagnini
authors.forename: Marcos Vinícius
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Perini
authors.forename: José Luiz Jesus
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Joaquim José Gama
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: José Eduardo Monteiro
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: da Cunha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology