Cavernous pancreatic ductal ectasia with smooth muscle proliferation causing recurrent acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cystic lesions have various etiologies, including pseudocyst (inflammatory cyst), retention cyst, congenital cyst, and neoplastic cyst.

RESULTS

This report describes a previously unreported, unique pancreatic cyst-like lesion causing recurrent acute pancreatitis. A 23-yr-old man had an 8 x 5 x 3-cm pancreatic head mass which contained multiple 3-7-mm cysts communicating with the main pancreatic duct on imaging studies. Pancreatoduodenectomy with mass excision prevented further attacks of acute pancreatitis. Pathological examination showed multiple cystic dilatations of branch pancreatic ducts surrounded by proliferating smooth muscle tissue, probably associated with hamartomatous changes.

CONCLUSION

We consider the present lesion to represent cavernous pancreatic ductal ectasia with smooth muscle proliferation because of its striking cholangiopancreatographic similarity to Caroli disease.