Management of intractable pancreatic leak from iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury following resection of choledochal cyst in an adult patient

Iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury can occur during resection of the choledochal cyst (CC). We herein present a case of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) developed after resection of the CC in an adult patient with variant anomalous union of pancreatobiliary duct. The 55-year-old female patient underwent surgery after the diagnosis of CC-associated gallbladder cancer. During surgery, the CC mass was accidentally pulled out, by which the intrapancreatic CC portion was torn out from the main pancreatic duct. Since the pancreatic duct stump was not identified due to its small size, repair was not possible. The excavated defect at the pancreas head was closed securely combined with insertion of multiple drains. Postoperative POPF and peripancreatic fluid collection developed and the patient had to be fasted for 4 weeks. She was first discharged at 6 weeks after surgery. At 10 weeks, she was readmitted due to progression of peripancreatic fluid collection, which was controlled by percutaneous drain insertion. At 6 months, she was readmitted again due to repeated progression of peripancreatic fluid collection, which were controlled by endoscopic transmural duodenocystostomy. It took 8 months to resolve the pancreatic duct injury-associated pancreatitis. The experience in this case suggests that iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury during resection of CC can induce catastrophic complications, thus special attention should be paid to prevent pancreatic duct injury.