Spontaneous Heterotopic Autotransplantation of Splenic Tissue: A Mimic of Pancreatic Malignancy

TL;DR

A patient's pancreatic-like lesions were actually splenic tissue, mimicking pancreatic cancer.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare condition, pancreatic splenosis, that can resemble pancreatic malignancy.

Findings

Peripancreatic and intrapancreatic lesions were found in a patient with mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Endoscopic ultrasound with biopsy confirmed the lesions were splenic tissue, not cancer.

The diagnosis was pancreatic splenosis, a rare condition following traumatic splenectomy.

Abstract

Intra-abdominal splenosis is a rare finding which most commonly occurs following traumatic splenectomy. We present a case report of a patient who presented with abdominal pain in which peripancreatic and intrapancreatic lesions were found in the setting of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Owing to concerns for pancreatic malignancy, we explored these lesions using endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle biopsy (with rapid on-site evaluation). Ultimately, surgical pathologies revealed the presence of splenic tissues and the diagnosis of pancreatic splenosis.

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