A disseminated variant of pancreatic serous cystadenoma causing obstructive jaundice, a very rare entity: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Microcystic adenoma or serous cystadenoma (SCA) is an uncommon tumor type, accounting for only 1–2% of pancreatic exocrine neoplasms. Usually unifocal, SCAs present as single, large, well-demarcated, multiloculated, cystic tumors, 1–25 cm in size. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old man initially presented with epigastric abdominal pain and was diagnosed with SCA involving the whole pancreas. Eleven months later, he presented with obstructive jaundice, and total pancreatectomy was performed. The removed tissue allowed histological verification of pancreatic SCA. Histopathological examination showed both microcysts and macrocysts, lined by cuboidal epithelium, with optically clear cytoplasm and the absence of detectable mitosis or necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, although relatively rare, pancreatic SCA is one of the differential diagnoses of epigastric abdominal pain; we recommend early surgical intervention for symptomatic pancreatic SCA.