Primary peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasia.

Abstract

Primary peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis is an exceptional entity in immunocompetent patients, but its incidence is increasing in developed countries in recent years due to increasing immigration. It usually presents as a pancreatic mass and is misdiagnosed as pancreatic neoplasia in most cases, with the diagnosis of tuberculosis occurring after surgery. We report the case of a 38 year old Pakistani man with abdominal pain of several months duration, who was initially diagnosed with a pancreatic neoplasm after detecting a mass in the pancreatic isthmus by computed tomography (CT) and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, after performing an endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB), the patient was diagnosed with peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis. After receiving anti-tuberculous treatment, the patient presented clinical improvement, despite a small reduction in the lesion size. In conclusion, peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis is part of the differential diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasia. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB) represents a valuable and useful diagnostic tool for detecting this pathology, avoiding surgeries with a high morbidity and mortality.