A case of small pancreatic cancer with intra-pancreatic metastasis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound.

INTRODUCTION: The usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the diagnosis of small pancreatic cancer is widely accepted. We experienced a small, 8 mm, pancreatic cancer with intra-pancreatic metastasis of 2 mm revealed by EUS. The patient was a 71-year-old female with a small low echoic tumor observed by abdominal ultrasonography. She was referred to our hospital for further investigation. She complained of mild abdominal pain. She had a past history of myoma uteri. Ultrasonography showed a 10 mm low echoic mass in the body of the pancreas, but it was difficult to make a distinction between a solid mass and a cystic lesion. No tumor was shown by CT or MRI. EUS was performed, and showed a solid low echoic tumor of 8 mm and a low echoic mass of 2 mm in a diameter near the tumor. An ERCP study was performed, but the cytology of the normal main pancreatic duct was shown to be benign. We diagnosed the patient with pancreatic cancer, and surgery was performed. A pathological examination revealed a 10 mm invasive ductal carcinoma and intra-pancreatic metastasis.