Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas: a case report

BACKGROUND: Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas is a rare lesion of undetermined pathogenesis that had been do- cumented almost exclusively in males. The literature on this entity is limited to reports of single or a small number of cases. METHODS: The case we described herein was compared with a total of 36 cases reported elsewhere. RESULTS: The 37 cases of lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas including our case were reviewed. Lymphoepi- thelial cysts have uniform and distinctive clinicopathologic features. Approximately 46% of the reported cases were asymptomatic with the lesions found incidentally, and their symptoms were non-specific. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphoepithelial cyst is a rare benign le- sion of the pancreas. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a rapid and reliable technique that can be used as the first diagnostic step in cases of cystic lesions of the pancreas.