Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas mimicking malignant cystic tumor: report of a case

Lymphoepithelial cysts of the pancreas are a type of true cyst that can mimic pseudocysts and cystic neoplasms. They are very rare, non-malignant lesions that are unilocular or multilocular cystic lesions lined predominantly by mature squamous epithelium and surrounded by non-neoplastic lymphoid elements. We, herein, present a patient with a cystic pancreas tumor mimicking a malignant cystic neoplasm. The patient was admitted with upper abdominal discomfort. Computed tomography showed a 64x39 mm cystic mass in the pancreas tail. She underwent distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. In the fluid analysis of the pancreas cystic mass, the CEA and CA19-9 were 618 ng/ml and 3.9 U/ml, respectively. The resected pancreas specimen showed a 6.5 cm-sized cyst the pancreas tail. The cyst was well circumscribed and multilocular. The final pathology report of the resected pancreas specimen noted that the cyst was multilocular, and the cyst lining was showing stratified squamous epithelium covering the lymphoid tissue (containing lymphoid follicles), which was consistent with a lymphoepithelial cyst. The patient recovered uneventfully from surgery and has been doing well for the past 3 months. A differential diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lesions is important. We suggest that lymphoepithelial cysts, although very rare, may be included in the differential diagnosis of cystic pancreatic tumors.

A Case of Management of Benign Lymphoepithelial Cysts of the Parotid Gland in Patient Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus / 대한이비인후과학회지

Benign lymphoepithelial cysts (BLEC) are the most common cause of the parotid gland swelling in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. The diagnosis of these HIV-associated BLEC is made based on history, physical examination, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance image, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The treatment is not established. We report the first case in Korea of a 43-year-old HIV-positive male with a 1-year history of enlargement in both parotid glands.