IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Pancreatic lipoma

Case contributed by Servet Kahveci
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Dyspepsia with a pancreatic head mass seen on ultrasound (not shown). CT examination performed to further characterize the mass.

Patient Data

Age: 70 years
Gender: Female
ct

A small, well-circumscribed, non-enhancing, homogeneous mass of fat attenuation in the head of the pancreas, in keeping with pancreatic lipoma.

Annotated image

A small, well-circumscribed, non-enhancing, homogeneous mass of fat attenuation in the head of the pancreas, in keeping with pancreatic lipoma (yellow arrow).

Red arrow: normal pancreatic tissue.

Case Discussion

Pancreatic lipomas are rare benign mesenchymal neoplasms that exhibit stable size and morphology. These are typically asymptomatic and detected on radiological exams undertaken for some other health condition. Generally, no treatment is required unless mass effect causes symptoms. Short-term interval observation is prudent to prove stability and help differentiate from early liposarcoma. Extensive follow-up is not likely necessary for this benign lesion.

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.