A case of IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis.

IgG4-related disease has been recognized as a systemic syndrome characterized by mass-forming lesions with lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and sclerosis. This disease has been identified in various sites, including the pancreas, retroperitoneum, lung, head, and neck. Herein we report a case of IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis. An 82-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to persistent abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated a solitary mass with a maximal diameter of 11.7cm in mesentrium of the small intestine. On her laboratory examination, only C-reactive protein level was elevated. Although the pre-operative diagnosis was indefinite, she underwent ileocecectomy. Grossly, an elastic soft mass with foci of hemorrhage was seen in the mesentrium. Microscopically, the lesion was composed of fibroblastic or myofibroblastic spindle cells with abundant stromal fibrosis and inflammatory infiltrate, such as lymphocytes and plasma cells accompanied by lymphoid follicles with a germinal center. Obstructive phlebitis was observed. Immunohistochemically, numerous IgG4-positive plasma cells were observed, and the IgG4/IgG ratio was 75.9%. The serum level of IgG4 examined at post-operation was high. These findings suggested that this lesion was consistent with IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis.

Multi-centric pancreatic cancer without PanIN lesion.

The patient was a 67-year-old man under follow-up after gastric cancer surgery. An abdominal CT scan performed 1 year earlier had shown an approximately 14-mm hypovascular mass in the pancreatic body; however, he did not consent to treatment and was followed up for 1 year. A blood workup showed that the fasting blood glucose level, which had been within normal limits, was elevated to 174 mg/dl (normal, 70-109 mg/dl), and the HbA1c level was 12.0% (normal, 4.3-5.8%). Abdominal CT revealed an approximately 20-mm mass in the pancreatic body and an approximately 12-mm mass in the pancreatic tail, and magnetic resonance imaging cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed discontinuity of the main pancreatic duct (MPD). Since these findings led to the suspicion of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the pancreas developing in the pancreatic body and tail, we performed distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. Histologically, IDCs were observed in the pancreatic body and tail. However, PanIN was not observed in the MPD between the two carcinomas. They were diagnosed as independent invasive ductal carcinomas of the pancreas.