Ectopic pancreas in the anterior mediastinum

• Published in: General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 53; no. 9; pp. 498 - 501
• Main Authors: Tamura, Yamato, Takahama, Makoto, Kushibe, Keiji, Taniguchi, Shigeki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Choristoma - diagnosis; Choristoma - etiology; Choristoma - pathology; Choristoma - surgery; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Mediastinal Diseases - diagnosis; Mediastinal Diseases - etiology; Mediastinal Diseases - pathology; Mediastinal Diseases - surgery; Pancreas; Radiography, Thoracic; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1344-4964; 1863-6705; 1863-2092; 1863-6713
• DOI: 10.1007/s11748-005-0095-6

We report an uncommon clinical case of anterior mediastinal localization of ectopic pancreatic tissue. A 39-year-old male was referred to our institution for investigation of an abnormal mediastinal shadow on a chest X-ray, and a large cystic lesion measuring 10 x 8 cm located in the anterior mediastinum was observed on a computed tomographic scan. He underwent complete surgical resection of the lesion. The postoperative pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic mediastinal pancreas. No recurrence or metastasis was detected during a follow-up period of 8 years. We speculate that this lesion represents abnormal differentiation of the pluripotent epithelial cells of the ventral primary foregut. Details of the clinical and histopathological features are presented.