Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas: a case report.

BACKGROUND Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas is a rare lesion of undetermined pathogenesis that had been documented 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. Lymphoepithelial 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 lesion 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.