[Intrapancreatic accessory spleen].
BACKGROUND
Intrapancreatic accessory spleen is a rare cause of pancreatic pseudotumors and in about 1-2% located in the pancreatic tail. Accessory spleens itself are found in about 10-15% of the population. Our findings show a case of an intrapancreatic accessory spleen suspected for a malignancy in the pancreatic tail.


METHODS
A 63-year-old man admitted for Cholezystitis was incidencially diagnosed with a tumor at the pancreatic tail. On MRI a hyperintense solid mass of 1.5 cm in diameter in the pancreatic tail was seen, which contrasted hyperdense in T2-weighted imaging. Due to inhomogenous enhancement on the early vascular phase the diagnosis of a endocrine pancreatic tail Carcinoma was suspected.


RESULTS
Intraoperative an accessory spleen was found in the pancreatic tail. An oncological left pancreatectomy was performed suspecting a malignant tumor. Histology showed an intrapancreatic accessory spleen in the pancreatic tail excluding presence of cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrapancreatic accessory spleen is a rare cause of unnecessary laparotomy but the absence of reliable diagnostics for this entity make histological ascertainment of a benign tumor indispensable. Therefore we still need an oncological tumor resection.
Meiler
R
R
Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Thoraxchirurgie, Klinikum Weiden, Deutschland.
Dietl
K H
KH
Novák
K
K
Patzel
C
C
D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013154:Spleen