Hemosuccus pancreaticus due to intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma of the pancreas

A 72-year-old female was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a hyperechoic mass in the pancreatic head with ultrasound sonography. She had no symptom expect slight anemia (Hb 11.3 g/dl). On endoscopy, blood was expelled from the orifice of the major duodenal papilla, but excretion of mucus was not detected. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography revealed an irregular defect in the main pancreatic duct at the head of the pancreas. Computed tomography revealed a 2-cm mass with a low density lesion in the pancreas head. On suspicion of malignant tumor of the pancreas, pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis was intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma without mucin hypersecretion. It grew within the inferior branch of the main pancreatic duct, and the top of the tumor stood out into the main pancreatic duct. As the causes of hemosuccus pancreaticus, pancreatic benign diseases, for example, chronic pancreatitis, pseudocyst, arterial aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm, are known, but pancreatic tumors are rare. In particular, this may be the first report of hemosuccus pancreaticus induced by intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma of the pancreas without mucin hypersecretion. © 2008 Springer.