Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Jul 27, 2026; 18(7): 121328
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.121328
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.121328
Recurrent acute pancreatitis due to a subtle branch-duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: A case report
Xiao Han, Xing-Ya Guo, Yin-Shi Huang, Ge Yu, Jie Lu, Rong Wan, Li-Juan Yang, Cong-Ying Chen, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
Co-corresponding authors: Li-Juan Yang and Cong-Ying Chen.
Author contributions: Han X performed the research, wrote the manuscript and edited the pictures; Han X, Huang YS, and Yu G managed the patient; Guo XY, Wan R, and Chen CY performed the endoscopic procedure; Han X, Lu J, and Yang LJ contributed to the discussion of the manuscript; Yang LJ and Chen CY designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co- corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Shanghai Health Commission’s Clinical Research Project in the Health Industry, No. 20244Y0004; and the Clinical Research Innovation Plan of Shanghai General Hospital, No. CCTR-2025C23.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Cong-Ying Chen, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Gastro
Received: March 25, 2026
Revised: April 24, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 127 Days and 22.2 Hours
Revised: April 24, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 127 Days and 22.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: We report a case in which endoscopic ultrasound successfully identified a minute branch-duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with mucus plugs as the cause of previously unexplained recurrent acute pancreatitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with pancreatoscopy. This case highlights the critical role of endoscopic ultrasound in the diagnosis of elusive recurrent pancreatitis and provides a valuable reference for its minimally invasive management, which may help improve etiological diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgery.