Adenocarcinoma arising from jejunal ectopic pancreas mimicking peritoneal metastasis from colon cancer: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Adenocarcinoma arising from jejunal ectopic pancreas is very rare. We report a case of a 69-year-old female with adenocarcinoma arising from jejunal ectopic pancreas after resection of advanced colon cancer. She underwent right hemicolectomy for advanced ascending colon cancer (ypT3N0M0, stage IIA) after chemotherapy. Two and half years after colectomy, her tumor markers were elevated, and computed tomography revealed a mass measuring 20x20 mm in the small intestine, having an abnormal uptake of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose on (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET). Double-balloon enteroscopy revealed a submucosal tumor in the jejunum, and histopathology of biopsy specimens from that lesion showed ectopic pancreas without malignancy. Therefore, peritoneal metastasis from colon cancer concomitant with ectopic pancreas or adenocarcinoma arising from ectopic pancreas was considered as a differential diagnosis. She underwent laparoscopic jejunectomy. Pathological examination revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from jejunal ectopic pancreas, not peritoneal metastasis from colon cancer. Even if histopathology of the biopsy specimen shows ectopic pancreas without malignancy, adenocarcinoma arising from ectopic pancreas should be considered when the tumor markers are elevated or the lesion has an abnormal uptake of (18)FDG.