[Portal collateral circulation and pancreatic carcinoma: bypass the obstacle]

Portal thrombosis with collateral circulation complicating carcinoma of the head of the pancreas is a contraindication for surgical management of this type of neoplasm. We report a case of a female patient whose portal collateral circulation was first treated by an endoportal transhepatic prosthesis. Three months later, curative surgical resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma was performed. This case illustrates an interesting two-phase surgical management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with portal thrombosis, possible when there is not other surgical contraindication.