Abstract
Lymphoepithelial cysts are relatively common lesions in the lateral neck region, but a lesion with identical morphology and clinical behavior may sometimes occur in the pancreas (although rare). Lymphoepithelial cysts are characterized histologically according to the presence of a stratified squamous epithelium lining and lymphoid tissue with germinal centers in the cyst wall.
In this article, we report a case of seventy-four-year-old women who underwent a pancreatectomy due to the incidental finding of a slow-growing cystic mass in the pancreatic tail. Histopathological examination revealed the rare diagnosis of a pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst.
Pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst is often diagnosed microscopically in a resected specimen, after a partial pancreatectomy performed on suspicion of a neoplastic cyst. The most clinically important differential diagnosis of lymphoepithelial cysts are mucinous neoplastic cysts of the pancreas: mucinous cystic neoplasia and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia demanding surgical treatment, whereas in case of asymptomatic lymphoepithelial cyst, the "watch and wait" approach should be preferred.
Preoperative diagnosis of lymphoepithelial cyst remains a challenge. Reviewed is literature pertaining to clinical, cytological and histological examination.