Giant pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma masquerading as renal hydatid disease

Abstract

Mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are the most common pancreatic cystic neoplasms. A 54-year-old female presented with an abdominal mass and was diagnosed to have a multilocular hydatid cyst from the left kidney by imaging. During surgery, a large thick-walled cyst with multiple loculi was seen arising from the upper pole of the left kidney and adherent to the distal pancreas and splenic vessels. The cyst was completely excised without hilar clamping. Histopathological examination confirmed mucinous cystadenoma arising from the pancreas. In conclusion, imaging can be unreliable in differentiating benign renal cysts from tumors of adjacent organs, raising a diagnostic dilemma. Surgical excision only would be able to differentiate the conditions as in our case.