Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours misdiagnosed as autoimmune pancreatitis: A case report and review of literature
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours are difficult to diagnose in the early stage of disease due to a lack of clinical symptoms, but they can rarely manifest as autoimmune pancreatitis. Autoimmune pancreatitis is an uncommon disease that may cause recurrent acute pancreatitis and is therefore often regarded as a special type of chronic pancreatitis. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 42-year-old female who had nonspecific upper abdominal pain for 4 years and radiological abnormalities of the pancreas that mimicked autoimmune pancreatitis. The symptoms and pancreatic imaging did not improve following 1 year of steroid therapy. Finally, pancreatic biopsy was performed through endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours were ultimately diagnosed. Pancreatectomy has resolved her symptoms. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the differentiation of nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours from autoimmune pancreatitis is very important, although it is rare. We propose that endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy should be performed if imaging characteristics are equivocal or the diagnosis is in question.
Source: World Journal of Clinical Cases
Authors: Zi-Qi Lin, Xin Li, Yan Yang, Yi Wang, Xiao-Ying Zhang, Xiao-Xin Zhang, Jia Guo
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4281298050