Case Report
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 14, 2013; 19(22): 3520-3523
Published online Jun 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i22.3520
Hemolymphangioma: A rare differential diagnosis of cystic-solid or cystic tumors of the pancreas
Fei Dong, Yi Zheng, Jian-Jun Wu, Yan-Biao Fu, Kai Jin, Ming Chao
Fei Dong, Jian-Jun Wu, Kai Jin, Ming Chao, Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Yi Zheng, Department of Radiology, the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Yan-Biao Fu, Department of Pathology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Chao M designed the study; Dong F acquired and analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript; Zheng Y, Wu JJ, and Jin K analyzed the clinical and imaging data; Fu YB analyzed and interpreted the pathological data; all authors participated in the editing and have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by The Public Technology Research and Social Development Project of Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, China, Grant No.2010C33142
Correspondence to: Dr. Ming Chao, Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China. doctor_chaoming@163.com
Telephone: +86-571-87783577 Fax: +86-571-87214631
Received: January 18, 2013
Revised: March 2, 2013
Accepted: April 9, 2013
Published online: June 14, 2013
Processing time: 146 Days and 23.3 Hours
Abstract

We report a case of pancreatic hemolymphangioma. Hemolymphangioma is a malformation of both lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. The incidence of this disease in the pancreas is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only seven cases have been reported worldwide (PubMed). A 39-year-old woman with a one-day history of abdominal pain was admitted to our hospital. There was no obvious precipitating factor. The preoperative examination, including ultrasonography and computed tomography, showed a cystic-solid tumor in the pancreas, and it was considered to be a mucinous cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. Pancreatic body-tail resection combined with splenectomy was performed. After the operation, the tumor was pathologically demonstrated to be a pancreatic hemolymphangioma. Although pancreatic hemolymphangioma is rare, we believe that it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic-solid tumors of the pancreas, particularly when there is no sufficient evidence for diagnosing cystadenoma, cystadenocarcinoma or some other relatively common disease of the pancreas.

Keywords: Pancreatic neoplasm; Hemolymphangioma; Differential diagnosis; Computed tomography; Ultrasonography

Core tip: This article reports an extremely rare case of pancreatic hemolymphangioma, which is a cystic-solid tumor. The imaging findings are different from those reported in the literature. Although it is rare and the definitive diagnosis depends on histological evidence, it should be considered preoperatively in the differential diagnosis of cystic-solid or cystic tumors of the pancreas, particularly when there is no sufficient evidence for diagnosing cystadenoma, cystadenocarcinoma or some other relatively common disease of the pancreas.