A case report of autoimmune pancreatitis associated with a pancreatic pseudocyst

RATIONALE: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a special type of chronic pancreatitis, which is rarely associated with pseudocyst. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 48-year-old man complained of a recurrent upper abdominal pain in our hospital. DIAGNOSES: A cystic mass of size 4 × 3 cm in his pancreatic tail was found by computed tomography. The concentrations of serum carbohydrate antigen19–9 (81 U/mL) and serum immunoglobulin G4 (181 mg/dL) were elevated. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received partial pancreatectomy with splenectomy and partial esophagectomy. OUTCOMES: Further histopathological examination revealed a pseudocyst, significant lymphoplasmatic infiltration, and fibrosis in the pancreas and esophagus. We report a rare case of AIP complicated with a pancreatic pseudocyst and invasion of lower esophagus. LESSONS: Our study demonstrated that surgical therapy should be considered for the refractory AIP complicated with a pancreatic pseudocyst and invasion of lower esophagus.