Rare benign pathologies mimicking malignancy: A cautionary tale for Whipple's resections

Benign pathologies demonstrated after a Whipple's resection (pancreatoduodenectomy) for pancreatic and peri-ampullary lesions are relatively uncommon. Here we report two cases where a Whipple's procedure was undertaken for suspected pancreaticobiliary cancer and where the final histology revealed, in each case, a rare benign lesion. The first case confirmed a cholesterol polyp in the distal common bile duct whilst the second case revealed ampullary intramural ectopic gland hyperplasia. Although pre-operative imaging helps in differentiating some benign lesions from malignant lesions, rare benign pathology may still mimic malignant conditions leading to a Whipple's resection.