Journal of the Pancreas Open Access

Keywords

Abnormalities; Anatomy; Case Report; Diagnostic Imaging; Histology; Pancreas

A 37-year-old woman was found to have a submucosal mass in the gastric antrum. She presented with recurrent episodes of right upper quadrant pain. Evaluation included a normal abdominal ultrasonography and esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which revealed a benign appearing 1 cm sessile polypoid mass in the gastric antrum (Image 1). The gastric mucosa over the mass was normal both visually and histopathologically on biopsies. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a 1x0.5 cm submucosal mass (Image 2). The patient strongly desired having this removed and, therefore, was operated with the presumed diagnosis of a gastric leiomyoma. The mass, easily identified at surgery, was removed through a gastrotomy. Histology revealed ectopic pancreatic tissue within the gastric submucosa.

While this is not an uncommon finding on the serosa of the small bowel (Image 3), a submucosal pancreatic rest is quite unusual [1, 2, 3].

Figures at a glance

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

References

1. Matsushita M, Takakuwa H, Nishio A. Endosonographic features of gastric adenomyoma, a type of ectopic pancreas. Endoscopy 2003; 35:621-2. [PMID 12822101]
2. Gottschalk U, Casper B, Boden G. Ectopic pancreas presenting as a large gastric antral papilla. Endoscopy 2003; 35:547. [PMID 12783360]
3. Harold KL, Sturdevant M, Matthews BD, Mishra G, Heniford BT. Ectopic pancreatic tissue presenting as submucosal gastric mass. J LaparoendoscAdvSurg Tech 2002; 12:333-8. [PMID 12470407]