When a PanNET Is Not a PanNET: Avoiding the Diagnostic Pitfalls of Peripancreatic Paraganglioma-A Case-Based Review.

Authors

Mackenzie L Coffin, Grace E McCrea, Busara Songtanin, Kanak Das, Asad Ullah, Tyler J Mouw

Published in

The American surgeon. Pages 31348261508229. Nov 12, 2026. Epub Nov 12, 2026.

Abstract

Paragangliomas are rare extra-adrenal neuroendocrine tumors, with pancreas involvement being extremely uncommon. Their clinical and radiologic similarity with other more common pancreatic neoplasms can cause diagnostic uncertainty. We present a 70-year-old man who presented with acute cholangitis, and a 4.4 cm pancreatic tail mass was found incidentally. Biopsy suggested a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Despite imaging and biopsy, the diagnosis was made postoperatively with histopathology revealing a paraganglioma in the peripancreatic fat. This case and brief review highlights the limitations of current diagnostic modalities and the need for a comprehensive evaluation in distinguishing paragangliomas from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, which is essential for surgery, genetic counseling, and long-term management.

PMID:
43019451
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Nov 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.