Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas: report of a case

The aim of this report is to describe the clinical and pathological features of a lympoepithelial cyst of the pancreas and to recommend fine-needle aspiration biopsy for the differential diagnosis of this lesion. A 55-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed as having a pancreatic tumor by abdominal ultrasonography. A hypoechoic cystic lesion was detected on the surface of the pancreatic body. A computed tomography revealed a cystic lesion surrounded by a smooth, flat wall. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the lesion was a low-intensity mass on the T1-image and a slightly high-intensity mass on the T2-image. The lesion was diagnosed as a benign cystic tumor, and enucleation of the tumor was scheduled. The fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed after laparotomy, and cytology of the contents was negative for malignant cells. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was a lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas. This cyst is an unusual but benign mass that requires minimal surgery.