Rapid Development of Diffuse-Type Remnant Pancreatic Cancer Following Obstructive Pancreatitis after Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Distal Bile Duct Carcinoma: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION

Distal bile duct carcinoma (DBDC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are aggressive malignancies; however, their metachronous occurrence within a short postoperative timeframe is extremely rare. We present an extremely rare case of diffuse-type PDAC that rapidly developed only 16 months after curative resection of DBDC.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old woman presented with obstructive jaundice. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed circumferential wall thickening with enhancement in the intrapancreatic bile duct. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition confirmed adenocarcinoma, resulting in a diagnosis of resectable DBDC. She underwent laparoscopy-assisted subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, and the pathology demonstrated Stage IIB (pT2N1M0; UICC/AJCC 8th edition). The resection margin was negative (R0). Adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 was administered for 3 months. Follow-up imaging at 16 months postoperatively revealed newly-developed and progressive main pancreatic duct (MPD) dilatation, diffuse enlargement of the remnant pancreas, and a poorly enhancing mass in the pancreatic tail. The patient also experienced epigastric and back pain, raising suspicion of obstructive pancreatitis. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided sampling again demonstrated adenocarcinoma, leading to a clinical diagnosis of de novo remnant pancreatic cancer. Total remnant pancreatectomy was therefore performed. Histopathological examination revealed moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with widespread infiltration of the entire pancreas, classified as Stage III (ypT3N2M0; UICC/AJCC 8th edition). Comprehensive genomic profiling identified canonical PDAC driver alterations. These included KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4, providing molecular confirmation of a de novo pancreatic origin. The patient died 6 months after the second surgery due to aggressive disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

This case highlights a rare, rapidly occurring metachronous combination of DBDC and highly aggressive diffuse-type pancreatic cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of surgically treated remnant pancreatic cancer after DBDC with comprehensive genetic profiling. Obstructive pancreatitis secondary to pancreaticojejunostomy stricture was the most plausible underlying carcinogenic factor. Vigilant surveillance of postoperative morphological changes, particularly progressive MPD dilatation, is required to prevent delayed recognition of fatal outcomes.