A role for surgery in primary pancreatic B-cell lymphoma: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Primary pancreatic lymphoma is a very rare but manageable malignant tumour which may be clinically confused as a pancreatic carcinoma. This case report demonstrates the value of surgical resection in the management of pancreatic lymphoma.


METHODS
We report a case of a 65-year-old man who was admitted with obstructive jaundice, vague upper abdominal pain and weight loss. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a mass at the head of the pancreas which was compressing the bile duct. The patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical assessment of the pancreatic lesion established the diagnosis of a diffuse, extranodal, high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Several doses of chemotherapy were administered postoperatively and at present the disease remains in remission.


CONCLUSIONS
The favourable outcome for this patient and a thorough review of the literature underline the important role that operative resection may have in the management of at least the early stage of primary pancreatic lymphoma.
Liakakos
Theodore
T
Third Department of Surgery, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Rimini 1 Street, Chaidari, Athens, Greece. theodlia@otenet.gr
Misiakos
Evangelos P
EP
Tsapralis
Dimitrios
D
Nikolaou
Irene
I
Karatzas
Gabriel
G
Macheras
Anastasios
A