A Case of Heterotopic Pancreatic Tissue Discovered in the Distal Esophagus

• Published in: Case reports in gastrointestinal medicine Vol. 2020; no. 2020; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Volfson, Ariy, Patel, Varun, Sostre, Vanessa, Shamoon, Dema
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2020; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Abdomen; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case reports; Cysts; Dysphagia; Enzymes; Esophagus; Gastroesophageal reflux; Genetic disorders; Inflammation; Laparoscopy; Ostomy; Pain; Pancreas; Pancreatitis; Stomach; Surveillance; Vomiting
• ISSN: 2090-6528; 2090-6536
• DOI: 10.1155/2020/4695184

Heterotopic pancreas (HP) is a congenital abnormality that represents ectopic pancreatic tissue that does not have anatomic, vascular, or ductal continuity. The prevalence of HP is 0.55% to 13.7% on autopsy, 0.2% to 0.5% of abdominal operations, and 0.9% of gastrectomies. It is commonly found in the stomach, duodenum, and proximal jejunum. Only 15 cases have been reported in the medical literature regarding involvement of the esophagus. Treatment depends on symptoms and location. In asymptomatic patients, simple observation may be sufficient; however, in those who are symptomatic, surgery may be warranted. We present a case of a 70-year-old male with heartburn, nausea, and abdominal bloating who underwent a diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and was found to have HP on histology in the distal esophagus. In our case, symptoms were treated conservatively and successfully with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI).