title: A role for surgery in primary pancreatic B-cell lymphoma: a case report.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Surgery, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Rimini 1 Street, Chaidari, Athens, Greece. theodlia@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liakakos
authors.forename: Evangelos P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Misiakos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsapralis
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karatzas
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macheras