Ectopic pancreas

Ectopic pancreas
Other names	Heterotopic pancreas, Accessory pancreas, Aberrant pancreas, Pancreatic rest, Myoepithelial hamartoma
Stomach biopsy with pancreatic heterotopia in the submucosa. H&E Stain.
Specialty	Gastroenterology
Symptoms	Often asymptomatic, may cause abdominal pain and distension
Diagnostic method	Biopsy, histologic evaluation
Differential diagnosis	Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)[1]
Treatment	Surgery if symptomatic
Medication	None
Frequency	Uncommon[1]

An ectopic pancreas is an anatomical abnormality in which pancreatic tissue has grown outside its normal location and without vascular or other anatomical connections to the pancreas.^[2] It is a congenital disease^[2] and is also known as heterotopic, accessory, or aberrant pancreas.^[3]

Signs and symptoms

Often, heterotopic pancreas is asymptomatic. When present, symptoms may include abdominal pain and distension.^[1] Often heterotopic pancreas is recognized as an incidental finding on imaging studies performed for an unrelated reason. Ectopic pancreatic tissue may occur anywhere in the abdominal cavity, though more than 90 percent are found in the stomach, duodenum or jejunum.^[1] Rarely, pancreatic heterotopic tissue may be found in the colon, spleen or liver.^[1]

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of ectopic pancreas can be challenging. Confirmation of the diagnosis requires tissue sampling, via biopsy or surgical resection.

Treatment

If no symptoms are present, then treatment is not necessary. When symptoms are present, treatment consists of surgical resection.^[1]

Epidemiology

The incidence of heterotopic pancreas is relatively low.^[1]

References

External links