Solid pseudopapillary tumor as a possible cause of acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is not commonly seen in the first presentation of pancreatic neoplasms. Solid pseudopapillary tumor as a cause of acute pancreatitis has not yet been reported. This is the first report of acute pancreatitis resulting from solid pseudopapillary tumor.

We report the case of a 21-year-old female who presented with a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain associated with elevated serum pancreatic enzyme concentration. The initial diagnosis was acute pancreatitis. However, subsequent ultrasonography and computed tomography showed an abdominal mass in the tail of the pancreas, retroperitoneal fluid and left pleural effusion. There was scarce pain relief even with large doses of analgesics. A distal pancreatectomy was then performed and a final diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor was made histologically. The surrounding pancreatic tissue was characterized as hemorrhagic edematous pancreatitis.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor is generally known as a slow-growing pancreatic neoplasm with few, if any, symptoms. However, solid pseudopapillary tumors should be kept in mind as a possible cause of acute pancreatitis, especially in cases of non-alcoholic young women having an acute pancreatitis attack.