Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the pancreatic neck: a rare case report and literature review

Abstract

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare disease of unknown etiology. It usually occurs in abdominal soft tissues and lung, and is extremely rare in the pancreas. IMT can occur in any part of a person at any age, however, it mostly affects children and young people. Its clinical manifestations are atypical, imaging examinations are not specific, and the differential diagnosis of pancreatic malignancies is difficult, making it easily misdiagnosed. Surgical resection is the preferred method of treatment for IMT. In this case report, we report a rare case of IMT in the neck of the pancreas and reviewed the relevant literature. In our case, the patient was a 57-year-old woman with an IMT in the neck of the pancreas. Abdominal pain was the only clinical symptom, and imaging features were not specific. She underwent surgery to remove the pancreatic mass, and the final diagnosis of IMT was based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. After 6 months of regular follow-up, the patient had no complications or further incidents. The purpose is to emphasize the difficulty of the preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic IMT and the difficulty of distinguishing it from pancreatic malignancies. It is hoped that clinicians can gain a deeper understanding of pancreatic IMT through this case report.