Ectopic pancreas with gastric outlet obstruction: report of two cases and literature review.

Ectopic pancreas is a rare entity and is usually an incidental finding in clinical practice. Most patients with an ectopic pancreas are asymptomatic, and if present, symptoms are non-specific according to the site of the lesion and different complications encountered. The most-common site is the stomach, accounting for 25%-38.2% of all patients. An asymptomatic ectopic pancreas is usually of no clinical importance, and there is no surgical indication in such a situation. However if there are complications caused by an ectopic pancreas, a variety of actions becomes necessary. We report 2 cases of ectopic pancreas with gastric outlet obstruction. The first case was a 41-year-old man who suffered from epigastric fullness and dyspepsia for 3 years. Endoscopic examination revealed a submucosal tumor measuring 2.5 cm in diameter in the prepyloric area. The second case was a 53-year-old man, who initially underwent a craniotomy to remove a pituitary adenoma, and laparotomy and duodenorrhaphy due to a perforated peptic ulcer. The postoperative course was not uneventful, and an upper gastrointestinal series showed a 2-cm intramural mass with a mucosal ulcer at the distal antrum. Both cases had symptoms and signs of gastric outlet obstruction, and both cases accepted subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth II anastomosis. A review of the literature revealed few cases of ectopic pancreas with gastric outlet obstruction. An ectopic pancreas must be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastric outlet obstruction.