Misdiagnosis of Intrapancreatic Accessory Spleen as an Endocrine Tumor of the Pancreatic Tail

Abstract

A 52-year-old man without any symptoms or signs had a health examination. An enhancing round mass of approximately 2 cm in diameter was delineated in the tail of the pancreas by an abdominal computed tomography scan (Figure A). A nonfunctioning islet cell tumor or solid pseudopapillary neoplasm without necrosis of pancreatic tail was suspected. Physical examination and laboratory data were all unremarkable. At operation, palpation of the pancreas did not reveal an obvious mass. On the basis of the computed tomography findings, partial pancreatectomy was performed, and spleen was preserved.