Isolated pancreatic tuberculosis mimicking pancreatic cancer: Case report

Abstract

Pancreatic tuberculosis is usually investigated as a mass or inflammation due to the lack of unique clinical or radiological characteristics; as a result, this rare extrapulmonary tuberculosis is usually diagnosed as pancreatic carcinoma.We present a 39-year-old female with pancreatic TB presenting as pancreatic carcinoma. The patient presented with abdominal pain in epigastric and right upper quadrant area for seven days with a previous contact of tuberculosis patient. She was jaundiced and tenderness on abdomen. Abdominal ultrasound revealed dilated common bile duct and computed tomography, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed ill-defined mass at the medial aspect of the common bile duct involving pancreatic head.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography also showed ill-defined lobulated lesion on pancreatic head. Biopsies revealed granulomatous inflammation and foci caseous necrosis confirming pancreatic tuberculosis.Patient was initiated on anti-TB treatment. Reporting rare cases help improve physician's abilities in identifying such specific illness which share common presentation clinically and radiographically.