Hemolymphangioma: A rare differential diagnosis of cystic-solid or cystic tumors of the pancreas

Abstract

We report a case of pancreatic hemolymphangioma. Hemolymphangioma is a malformation of both lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. The incidence of this disease in the pancreas is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only seven cases have been reported worldwide (PubMed). A 39-year-old woman with a one-day history of abdominal pain was admitted to our hospital. There was no obvious precipitating factor. The preoperative examination, including ultrasonography and computed tomography, showed a cystic-solid tumor in the pancreas, and it was considered to be a mucinous cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. Pancreatic body-tail resection combined with splenectomy was performed. After the operation, the tumor was pathologically demonstrated to be a pancreatic hemolymphangioma. Although pancreatic hemolymphangioma is rare, we believe that it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic-solid tumors of the pancreas, particularly when there is no sufficient evidence for diagnosing cystadenoma, cystadenocarcinoma or some other relatively common disease of the pancreas.

Keywords: Pancreatic neoplasm; Hemolymphangioma; Differential diagnosis; Computed tomography; Ultrasonography

Core tip: This article reports an extremely rare case of pancreatic hemolymphangioma, which is a cystic-solid tumor. The imaging findings are different from those reported in the literature. Although it is rare and the definitive diagnosis depends on histological evidence, it should be considered preoperatively in the differential diagnosis of cystic-solid or cystic tumors of the pancreas, particularly when there is no sufficient evidence for diagnosing cystadenoma, cystadenocarcinoma or some other relatively common disease of the pancreas.