Small bowel intussusception due to adenocarcinoma of ectopic pancreas in the jejunum: a case report

We encountered a case of adenocarcinoma of the ectopic pancreas, causing intussusception.

A 76-year-old man presented with complaints of abdominal distention and vomiting to the emergency department in March 2022. Computed tomography showed that the small bowel piled up approximately 20 cm from the ligament of the traits. Endoscopic repair was challenging; therefore, laparoscopic repair and partial resection of the small bowel were performed. The specimen showed a mass in the small bowel arising from an ectopic pancreas that had caused accumulation. Pathological examination revealed ectopic pancreatic cancer. Two years postoperatively, no apparent recurrence has been observed. We report a relatively rare case of a cancerous ectopic jejunal pancreas causing a mass, with a discussion in the literature.

Detection typically requires surgery due to advanced-stage intestinal obstruction or accumulation, as observed in the present case. However, preoperative diagnosis and early detection of ectopic pancreatic cancer are challenging. The disease progresses similarly to pancreatic cancer, highlighting the need for early detection methods. Additionally, accumulating more case reports is essential for establishing an effective treatment strategy.