Heterotopic pancreas refers to pancreatic tissue located outside its normal position and lacking anatomical or vascular continuity with the pancreas. Gastric heterotopic pancreas (GHP) is generally asymptomatic, but in rare cases large GHP lesions can cause gastric outlet syndrome or gastroduodenal invagination. GHP may also occasionally cause acute pancreatitis and abscess formation in the gastric wall. This report describes a rare case of GHP with concurrent gastroduodenal invagination and gastric wall abscess treated via laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

A 46-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed a 40-mm low-density mass in the gastric pylorus, and gastroduodenal invagination. Gastroscopy confirmed a submucosal lesion at the gastric pylorus causing pyloric stenosis. The patient underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Histopathological examination revealed a gastric submucosal lesion containing pancreatic tissue with acinar cells and ducts, without islets of Langerhans, leading to a diagnosis of Heinrich type II GHP. The submucosal lesion also contained inflammatory components such as neutrophils and foamy histiocytes, forming a gastric wall abscess. Finally, the patient was discharged on postoperative day 11 and is progressing well 7 months after surgery.

Herein we report the first case of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for GHP with concurrent gastroduodenal invagination and gastric wall abscess resulting in a favorable outcome.

Ectopic pancreas refers to pancreatic tissue that lacks vascular or anatomical connection with the main body of the pancreas. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome involves the compression of the third part of the duodenum between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. We present a case of a 12-year-old female with a 4-year history of recurrent episodes of severe epigastric pain, improved by sitting and leaning forward, and occurred monthly for nearly 48 h. Radiological findings confirmed the diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery syndrome. However, further investigation revealed the presence of ectopic pancreas. Surgical intervention successfully treated both conditions. The patient presented with severe abdominal pain, and although there was a diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery syndrome, the pain was not entirely attributable to this condition, as there was no correlation with food intake, and the degree of obstruction was mild. Further investigations revealed the presence of ectopic pancreas, which provided an explanation for the severity of the pain. This case highlights the need for further research on the potential association between superior mesenteric artery syndrome and ectopic pancreas.

Ectopic pancreas may be unfamiliar to many people because it is rare and difficult to diagnose. However, this disease is highly susceptible to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. In this article, we report two cases of pancreatic heterotopia in the gastric sinus and small intestine, respectively, both of which were confirmed by histopathological examination.

The first patient was a 43-year-old female which reported abdominal distension for 2 mo. The second was a 67-year-old female who experienced intermittent epigastric discomfort for 15 d. In both cases, there was no confirmed preoperative examination, and the postoperative pathology indicated the presence of ectopic pancreas.

The diagnosis of ectopic pancreas is difficult, and is often prone to misdiagnosis and the possibility of being overlooked. Various laboratory tests and imaging tests should be carefully evaluated before surgery to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.