Resección endoscópica de hamartoma gigante de glándulas de Brunner. Reporte de un caso

Abstract

Brunner's gland hamartoma or hyperplasia is a rare benign neoplasm of the small intestine, usually small, that is discovered incidentally on an upper digestive endoscopy or imaging tests. When it reaches a large size, it can cause digestive bleeding or intestinal obstruction. The pathogenesis is unknown. The endoscopic presentation can be nodular, polypoid or a diffuse glandular proliferation with thickening of the duodenal wall, and may be mistaken for a malignant neoplasm. Endoscopic resections of large Brunner's gland hamartomas in the duodenum is little reported in literature, due to its low incidence and diagnostic difficulty. The surgical approach is associated to greater morbidity compared to an endoscopic approach. The case of a 62-year-old patient is reported, who presented melena and symptomatic anemia, secondary to a giant polyp in the duodenal bulb. The polyp was successfully resected endoscopically without complications, which made it possible to avoid a more extensive surgical procedure. Histopathological examination of the whole specimen showed a Brunner's gland hamartoma. Conclusion: Brunner's gland hyperplasia or hamartoma is a benign neoplasm that rarely produces symptoms. Large lesions can become symptomatic and a high clinical-endoscopic suspicion and an evaluation of the extension are necessary before applying any therapeutic procedure, in order to avoid complex surgeries and favor a complete and safe endoscopic resection.