Pancreatic pseudotumour of tuberculosis etiology

BACKGROUND: TO review the clinical findings of pancreatic tuberculosis and to establish a differential diagnosis with pancreatic tumours. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TO describe three cases of pancreatic tuberculosis di agnosed in a 850 bed teaching hospital during the last two years. RESULTS: In the three case the imaging procedures showed a pancreatic mass with hipodens area. One of the cases was erroneously initially diagnosed of a pancreatic tumour. In one case was diagnosed by a subcutaneous abscess p uncture, in another by clinical suspicion and in third patient by laparotom y. Only one patient was immunosuppressed. Ail patients were cured with stan dard antituberculous therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic tuberculosis should be considered in patients prese nting with pancreatic tumours.