Alveolar echinococcosis in the head of pancreas: A case report

Pancreatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is an exceptionally rare disease; no more than 10 cases have been published to date. It is characterized as extensive local tissue infringement and destruction; thus, extended surgical resection, such as duodenopancreatectomy, is often needed to obtain a negative resection margin so as to improve the long-term outcome and prognosis.

A middle-aged Tibetan man was admitted due to a 16-year history of recurrent pain in the right upper abdomen. Magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a cystic lesion in the VI segment of his liver and several cystic lesions in the head of pancreas.

Pancreatic AE.

The patient adopted a preserved surgery of partial cystectomy and completely removing the content of the cyst and then soaking by hypertonic saline combined with adjuvant medical therapy of albendazole.

The patient was monitored on a regular basis at the outpatient department; the patient is still alive and has already survived 8 years till now.

A preserved surgery combined with adjuvant medical therapy of albendazole can also contribute to a good survival outcome for AE located at the head of pancreas.