- Desmoid tumours are locally aggressive neoplasms with a high rate of recurrence.
- The tumours are rarely found in the pancreas and only a few cases have been reported in literature.
- This article describes the case of a 21-year-old female patient diagnosed with desmoid tumour.
A 21-year-old female patient presented with a 40-day history of epigastric pain, diagnosed with a sporadic desmoid tumour. On physical examination, mild epigastric tenderness was evident, however, no mass was palpable. A transabdominal ultrasound was performed which showed a solid cystic mass in the head and body of the pancreas.
For further evaluation, a CT scan was done which showed the mass as heterogenous, multi-lobular and thick walled, measuring (61 x 35 mm), extending to the lesser sac. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) showed a cystic-solid mass, measuring 6 x 4 cm in the pancreatic head, suspicious of mucinous cystadenoma. The large size of the tumour necessitated surgical removal with EUS guided biopsy. Liver and spleen were unremarkable with major vessels intact.
The patient underwent a Whipple procedure and subtotal pancreatectomy, only preserving the tail. Histopathological analysis of the mass was consistent with the diagnosis of desmoid tumour.
The patient’s postoperative period was uneventful until the 10th day. However, she later suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding and died despite immediate interventions to control the bleeding.
References
A Sporadic Desmoid Tumor: an Exceptional Pancreatic Cystic-Solid Mass https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4987560/
