Adenocarcinoma Arising from an Ectopic Pancreas in the Stomach

Ectopic pancreas is rare, being found in between 0.6 % and 15 % at autopsy. Heterotopic pancreas is usually an asymptomatic condition which is found incidentally at surgery or at autopsy. Occasionally, significant symptoms arise from complications, such as recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding, biliary or intestinal obstruction, or malignant degeneration. Malignant change is very rare. We report a case of malignant change (adenocarcinoma) in an ectopic pancreas in the stomach. In the literature, there are eight reported cases of malignant change in ectopic gastric pancreas. The prognosis in the other reported cases is unknown, but in our patient, the tumor was confined to the muscle of the stomach and there was no lymph node invasion.

References

• 1 Tadataka Y, David H A. et al . Textbook of Gastroenterology. In: Rodter AL (ed) Congenital and hereditary diseases of the pancreas. Stuttgart; Thieme 1991: 1940
• 2 Beger H G, Warshaw A L, Büchler M W. et al . The pancreas. In: John ES, Lee JS, Gene LC (eds) Congenital anomalies and variations of the pancreas and pancreatic and extrahepatic bile duct. Stuttgart; Thieme 1998: 28-30
• 3 Kim J L. Disease of Digestive System. In: Kim WH (ed) Gastric polyp. Stuttgart; Thieme 2000: 209-210
• 4 Guillou L, Nordback P, Gerber C. et al . Ductal adenocarcinoma arising in a heterotopic pancreas situated in a hiatal hernia.  Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1994;  118 568
• 5 Hideki U, Ryuichi D, Koichi H. et al . Carcinoma arising from ectopic pancreas in the stomach. Endosonographic detection of malignant change.  J Clin Ultrasound. 1998;  26 265-268
• 6 Goldfarb W B, Benett D, Monafo W. Carcinoma in heterotopic gastric pancreas.  Ann Surg. 1963;  158 56
• 7 Tanimura A, Yamamoto A, Shibata H. et al . Carcinoma in heterotopic gastric pancreas.  Acta Pathol Jpn. 1979;  29 251
• 8 Hickman D M, Frey C F, Carson J W. Adenocarcinoma arising in heterotopic gastric pancreas.  West J Med. 1981;  135 57
• 9 Jeng K S, Yang K C, Kuo S H. Malignant degeneration of heterotopic pancreas.  Gastrointest Endosc. 1991;  37 196
• 10 Herold G, Kraft K. Adenocarcinoma arising from ectopic pancreas: two case reports with a review of the literature.  Z Gastroenterol. 1995;  33 260