Pancreatic actinomycosis treated by antibiotics after diagnosis using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy

Abstract

A 71-year-old man who had undergone total gastrectomy, partial pancreatectomy, and splenectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer was referred for a possible pancreatic tail tumor. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed mold-like, poor contrast lesion in the dilated main pancreatic duct in the pancreatic tail. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a slightly hyperechoic solid lesion that occupied the lumen of the main pancreatic duct. Linear calcification was observed in the lesions on both computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasonography, and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy was performed. Histopathology revealed sulfur grains and inflammatory infiltrates with no malignant findings. We also performed an anaerobic culture using fine-needle biopsy specimens, and Actinomyces meyeri was detected in the culture results. After confirming susceptibility, oral administration of amoxicillin was initiated. After 8 months of treatment, the size of the lesion slightly decreased, and the antibiotics treatment is still ongoing. This shows that such cases could be diagnosed based on histological findings and anaerobic culture using a fine-needle biopsy specimen, and unnecessary surgery may be avoided. In the case of tumors developed in the residual pancreas without typical malignant imaging findings, pancreatic actinomycosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis.