Serous cystic neoplasms of the whole pancreas in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease

Intern Med. 2011;50(12):1293-8. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.50.4946. Epub 2011 Jun 15.

Abstract

We describe here a case of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease with a serous cystic neoplasm of the whole pancreas. The patient was a 35-year-old woman suffering from a palpable abdominal tumor. She had a history of hemangioblastomas of the cerebellum. CT revealed large solid tumors in the pancreatic head and body, and multiple cystic lesions in the whole pancreas as well as a right renal tumor. When endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed, bleeding from the duodenal papilla was detected. Since she had some distinguishing clinical features, the diagnosis of VHL disease was made. The preoperative diagnosis of the pancreatic lesion was serous cystic neoplasms with hemosuccus pancreaticus and total pancreatectomy was performed. Histological examination of the specimen revealed serous cystic neoplasms which occupied the entire pancreas. VHL cases operated on for serous cystic neoplasms of the entire pancreas are very rare.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / complications
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / surgery
  • Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / complications
  • Kidney Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Kidney Neoplasms / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / complications*
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / surgery
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / complications*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Ultrasonography
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / complications*
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / diagnosis
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / surgery