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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Isolation of Neonatal Extrahepatic Cholangiocytes
Published on: June 5, 2014
Juvenile xanthogranuloma presenting as obstructive jaundice
Insights
A 9-month-old infant with obstructive jaundice was diagnosed with juvenile xanthogranuloma. This rare condition, associated with cytomegalovirus, presented as a pancreatic mass.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Surgical Pathology
- Pediatric Oncology
Background:
- Obstructive jaundice in infants can stem from various causes, including rare pancreatic masses.
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are common in infants and have been anecdotally linked to other rare conditions.
Observation:
- A 9-month-old infant presented with obstructive jaundice and distended extrahepatic biliary tract.
- Urine analysis was positive for cytomegalovirus.
- A 1-cm pancreatic head mass was identified, initially concerning for malignancy.
Findings:
- Intraoperative frozen section analysis could not definitively exclude malignancy.
- Histopathological examination confirmed the mass as juvenile xanthogranuloma.
- The final diagnosis was juvenile xanthogranuloma, with a noted association with cytomegalovirus.
Implications:
- This case highlights juvenile xanthogranuloma as a rare cause of obstructive jaundice in infants.
- The findings support a potential association between cytomegalovirus infection and juvenile xanthogranuloma.
- Further research may elucidate the pathogenetic link between CMV and juvenile xanthogranuloma in pediatric cases.
Abstract:
The authors report the case of a 9-month-old infant presenting with obstructive jaundice. Preoperative investigation findings showed distension of the extrahepatic biliary tract. Urine analysis result was positive for cytomegalovirus. At laparotomy, a 1-cm round mass was found within the head of the pancreas, near its upper border and in the course of the common bile duct. Findings on frozen sections could not rule out a malignant process and an hepaticoduodenostomy was constructed. Final diagnosis was juvenile xanthogranuloma. An association between cytomegalovirus and juvenile xanthogranuloma has been reported previously in the literature.
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