Lymphoepithelial cysts of the pancreas: the use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in diagnosis

Lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) are rare non-neoplastic lesions that can appear as a complex cyst or a mass in the pancreas. Cytology from endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) can be helpful in making a diagnosis with the aim of avoiding unnecessary surgical resection. A case...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of gastroenterology 2010-06, Vol.24 (6), p.348-350
Main Authors: Karim, Zamil, Walker, Blair, Lam, Eric
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Pain - etiology
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Brief Communication
Endosonography
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Pancreatic Cyst - complications
Pancreatic Cyst - diagnostic imaging
Pancreatic Cyst - pathology
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Description
Summary:Lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) are rare non-neoplastic lesions that can appear as a complex cyst or a mass in the pancreas. Cytology from endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) can be helpful in making a diagnosis with the aim of avoiding unnecessary surgical resection. A case involving a 51-year-old woman with lower abdominal pain who was found to have a multiloculated cystic lesion at the junction of the pancreatic body and tail is described. Cytology from EUS-FNA was consistent with a pancreatic LEC. The lesion was managed conservatively and follow-up imaging of the cyst over the following two years was unchanged. The patient remains clinically well. Cytology from EUS-FNA can help distinguish LECs from cystic neoplasms, thus preventing radical surgical resection of this benign pancreatic cyst.
ISSN:0835-7900
DOI:10.1155/2010/456867