An ampullary adenoma presenting with jaundice caused by duodenal intussusception: a case report

Ampullary adenomas are premalignant lesions. However, biliary obstruction causing jaundice is rare. Duodenal intussusception secondary to an ampullary adenoma rarely occurs because of the fixed position of the duodenum in the retroperitoneum. Herein, we have described a rare case of ampullary adenoma with jaundice caused by duodenal intussusception.

A 40-year-old woman presenting with vomiting and yellowish discoloration of the skin was admitted to another hospital. The patient had experienced recurrent epigastric pain and vomiting for the past 18 months. Blood test results showed elevated levels of bilirubin (3.9 mg/dL), and abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a 60-mm hypovascular mass in the third part of the duodenum and a left lateral shift of the dilated common bile duct. The patient was referred to our hospital for further evaluation. She recovered from hyperbilirubinemia spontaneously (levels of bilirubin, 1.0 mg/dL), and the CT showed a tumor shift from the third part of the duodenum to the second part and improvement of the dilated common bile duct. Hypotonic duodenography revealed a tumor that moved easily from the second to the third portion of the patient's position. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a large papillary tumor occupying the second part of the duodenum, which was diagnosed as an adenoma through biopsy. The possibility of malignancy could not be negated owing to the presence of jaundice and an elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level (76.0 U/mL). Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. The resected specimen showed a 60 × 40 × 40-mm pedunculated ampullary mass with submucosal elongation. The pathological examination indicated that the ampullary tumor was a high-grade intestinal adenoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 26 days postoperatively.

This report describes a rare case of a patient with an ampullary adenoma presenting with jaundice resulting from duodenal intussusception. Owing to the possibility of a postoperative cancer diagnosis which may have caused the biliary obstruction and the difficulty in making an accurate preoperative diagnosis, it is imperative to choose the appropriate surgical procedure such as a pancreaticoduodenectomy.