Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 13195-13199
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13195
Adrenal lymphangioma masquerading as a pancreatic tail cyst
Hae Il Jung, Taesung Ahn, Myoung Won Son, Zisun Kim, Sang Ho Bae, Moon Soo Lee, Chang Ho Kim, Hyon Doek Cho
Hae Il Jung, Taesung Ahn, Myoung Won Son, Sang Ho Bae, Moon Soo Lee, Chang Ho Kim, Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea
Zisun Kim, Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 420-767, South Korea
Hyon Doek Cho, Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea
Author contributions: Jung HI, Lee MS, Kim CH and Bae SH performed the operation; Jung HI wrote the manuscript; Ahn T, Son MW and Kim Z provided advice during the preparation of the manuscript; Cho HD wrote the pathologic reports.
Supported by The Soonchunhyang University Research Fund
Correspondence to: Sang Ho Bae, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 31 Soonchunhyang 6gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea. bestoperator@schmc.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-41-5702140 Fax: +82-41-5710129
Received: February 20, 2014
Revised: April 29, 2014
Accepted: May 25, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 223 Days and 8.5 Hours
Abstract

Cystic lymphangiomas of the adrenal gland are rare. A 79-year-old female presented in the emergency room with epigastric discomfort, and an immovable mass was palpated in her abdomen upon physical examination. Imaging studies revealed a large cystic lesion in the pancreatic tail. The radiologic impression ruled out the possibility of a mucinous cystic neoplasm, or a pseudocyst in the pancreas. The operative findings demonstrated that the cystic mass originated in the left adrenal gland. A laparoscopic excision of the cystic mass was performed, and immunohistochemistry confirmed that this mass was a lymphangioma of the adrenal gland. Several prior reports have suggested that lymphangioma can mimic renal or splenic cysts. However, lymphangioma cases mimicking pancreatic cysts are very rare.

Keywords: Lymphangioma; Adrenal gland; Pancreas; Cyst; Mucinous neoplasm

Core tip: This paper reports the case of a large symptomatic adrenal cyst that was initially considered to be a mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas on radiologic imaging. To our knowledge, several prior reports have shown that lymphangioma can mimic renal or splenic cysts, but lymphangioma cases mimicking pancreatic tail cysts are rare.