Mucinous cystic adenoma with inflammatory cell infiltration around the splenic artery mimicking pancreatic cancer: a case report

A 45-year-old woman presented with upper abdominal and back pain. A cystic lesion in the pancreas and inflammation around the splenic artery were detected by computed tomography. Although imaging studies were difficult to exclude malignancy, pathological and cytological findings of a fine-needle aspiration showed no signs of malignancy. The patient was, therefore, followed-up for 3 months, during which time the cyst increased in size and developed a cyst-in-cyst structure. She was diagnosed with mucinous cyst neoplasm and underwent distal pancreatectomy. Histologically, the patient was diagnosed as low-grade mucinous cystic adenoma. Soft tissue shadows around the splenic artery were considered to indicate fibrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells. After distal pancreatectomy, the patient has been uneventful with symptom resolution. This case highlights the potentially atypical presentation of mucinous cystic neoplasms with inflammatory cell infiltration around the splenic artery.