Unusual Location of Cystic Lymphangioma of the Pancreas: About a Case and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Cystic pancreatic lymphangiomas are rare benign lesions that arise from the lymphatic vessels, representing only 1% of abdominal lymphangiomas and less than 0.5% of all cystic pancreatic lesions, generally affecting women. Its clinical presentation is polymorphic, its positive diagnosis is now possible. However, the definitive diagnosis is histological. The curative treatment is surgical, complete resection eliminates the risk of recurrence. In this work, we report the case of a 69-year-old patient who presented to the emergency room with a picture of upper digestive hemorrhage where a fibroscopy, CT scan and abdominal MRI revealed a duodeno-pancreatic cystic mass circumscribing the head and the isthmus of the pancreas.  A complete resection was impossible given the risks associated with total duodenopancreatectomy. Pathological examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the lymphangiomatous nature of the tumor. The objective in this work is to study the diagnostic and therapeutic features of cystic lymphangioma of the pancreas.