Acinar cystic transformation of the pancreas is also known as acinar cell cystadenoma (ACC), and this is an extremely rare benign lesion that was first described in April 2002. We report here on a case of a previously asymptomatic patient with pancreatic ACC and this was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report concerning the CT or MRI features of ACC in the medical literature. We present here the CT, MRI and pathological findings of pancreatic ACC.
Cystadenoma/pathology/*radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether or not detailed cystic feature analysis on CT scans can assist in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) from serous cystadenoma (SCN), mucinous cystadenoma (MCN), and a pseudocyst. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study received Institutional Review Board approval and informed patient consent was waived. Electronic radiology and pathology databases were searched to identify patients with PDAC (n = 19), SCN (n = 26), MCN (n = 20) and a pseudocyst (n = 23) who underwent pancreatic CT imaging. The number, size, location, and contents of cysts, and the contour of the lesions were reviewed, in addition to the wall thickness, enhancement patterns, and other signs of pancreatic and peripancreatic involvement. Diagnosis was based on lesion resection (n = 82) or on a combination of cytological findings, biochemical markers, and tumor markers (n = 6). Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the results. RESULTS: A combination of the CT findings including irregular contour, multiple cysts, mural nodes, and localized thickening, had a relatively high sensitivity (74%) and specificity (75%) for differentiating PDAC from SCN, MCN, and pseudocysts (p < 0.05). Other CT findings such as location, greatest dimension, or the presence of calcification were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The CT findings for PDAC are non-specific, but perhaps helpful for differentiation. PDAC should be included in the general differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology/*radiography ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/pathology/*radiography ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous/pathology/*radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Markers, Biological/analysis

We report here on a case of extrahepatic biliary cystadenoma arising from the common hepatic duct. A 42-year-old woman was evaluated by us to find the cause of her jaundice. Ultrasonography and CT showed a cystic dilatation of the common hepatic duct and also marked dilatation of the intrahepatic duct. Direct cholangiography demonstrated a large filling defect between the left hepatic duct and the common hepatic duct; dilatation of the intrahepatic duct was also demonstrated. Following excision of the cystic mass, it was pathologically confirmed as a unilocular biliary mucinous cystadenoma arising from the common hepatic duct.
Adult ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Choledochal Cyst/*diagnosis ; Cystadenoma/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hepatic Duct, Common/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography, Interventional