Tuberculous Pancreatic Head Mass – A Radiological Dilemma

Abstract

A 22-year-old female was referred with obstructive jaundice. On evaluation, she was found to have a pancreatic head mass. An image-guided fine needle aspiration and cytology of the mass lesion showed epitheloid cell granulomas suggestive of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis of the pancreas is a rare entity, which can mimic carcinoma or focal pancreatitis. An accurate preoperative diagnosis needs a high index of suspicion and is possible with the availability of superior imaging tools. This can aid in avoiding the need for major surgical resection in the form of pancreaticoduodenectomy. In this article, we highlight the specific radiological features that can help us in differentiating malignancy from tuberculosis.