Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review

<b>Background and Clinical Significance</b>: Ectopic pancreatic tissue (EPT), an infrequently documented condition within the pediatric population, is often asymptomatic. When clinical manifestations do occur, their severity is contingent upon the location, size, and involvement of the a...

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Main Authors: Elena Roxana Matran, Andra-Mihaela Diaconu, Oana Neagu, Alexandru-Ioan Ulmeanu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/10/1193
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author Elena Roxana Matran
Andra-Mihaela Diaconu
Oana Neagu
Alexandru-Ioan Ulmeanu
author_facet Elena Roxana Matran
Andra-Mihaela Diaconu
Oana Neagu
Alexandru-Ioan Ulmeanu
author_sort Elena Roxana Matran
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background and Clinical Significance</b>: Ectopic pancreatic tissue (EPT), an infrequently documented condition within the pediatric population, is often asymptomatic. When clinical manifestations do occur, their severity is contingent upon the location, size, and involvement of the adjacent mucosa. <b>Case presentation</b>: This is a case series study, involving six children aged 15 days–13 years diagnosed with EPT from a single institution. Five of the six cases presented with both EPT and ectopic gastric tissue, located at the site of Meckel’s diverticulum, while one case presented EPT exclusively, which was localized in the duodenum I. A case of Littre’s hernia was identified in a newborn. Two of the six cases experienced gastrointestinal bleeding. Due to limited data on EPT in children, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to integrate the findings of the case series. The review synthesized evidence on clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, phenotypic classifications, and management strategies. Articles were identified through searches on PubMed and publisher platforms such as Elsevier and Wiley Online Library, using keywords like “ectopic pancreatic tissue”, “heterotopic pancreas”, and “pediatric ectopic pancreas”. <b>Conclusions</b>: The identification of EPT continues to pose a diagnostic challenge, as the symptoms are nonspecific and can sometimes be life-threatening. Additionally, there are currently no specific paraclinical investigations available for this purpose. Histopathological evaluation remains crucial for establishing the diagnosis, which is often confirmed only after complications have arisen.
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spelling doaj-art-0979c8e7e2ec4d44a25ef1fc2a895eb02025-08-20T03:14:31ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-05-011510119310.3390/diagnostics15101193Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature ReviewElena Roxana Matran0Andra-Mihaela Diaconu1Oana Neagu2Alexandru-Ioan Ulmeanu3Department of Paediatrics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Pediatrics, “Grigore Alexandrescu” Emergency Hospital for Children, 011743 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Pathology, “Grigore Alexandrescu” Emergency Hospital for Children, 011743 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Paediatrics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania<b>Background and Clinical Significance</b>: Ectopic pancreatic tissue (EPT), an infrequently documented condition within the pediatric population, is often asymptomatic. When clinical manifestations do occur, their severity is contingent upon the location, size, and involvement of the adjacent mucosa. <b>Case presentation</b>: This is a case series study, involving six children aged 15 days–13 years diagnosed with EPT from a single institution. Five of the six cases presented with both EPT and ectopic gastric tissue, located at the site of Meckel’s diverticulum, while one case presented EPT exclusively, which was localized in the duodenum I. A case of Littre’s hernia was identified in a newborn. Two of the six cases experienced gastrointestinal bleeding. Due to limited data on EPT in children, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to integrate the findings of the case series. The review synthesized evidence on clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, phenotypic classifications, and management strategies. Articles were identified through searches on PubMed and publisher platforms such as Elsevier and Wiley Online Library, using keywords like “ectopic pancreatic tissue”, “heterotopic pancreas”, and “pediatric ectopic pancreas”. <b>Conclusions</b>: The identification of EPT continues to pose a diagnostic challenge, as the symptoms are nonspecific and can sometimes be life-threatening. Additionally, there are currently no specific paraclinical investigations available for this purpose. Histopathological evaluation remains crucial for establishing the diagnosis, which is often confirmed only after complications have arisen.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/10/1193childrenectopic pancreatic tissuegastrointestinal bleeding
spellingShingle Elena Roxana Matran
Andra-Mihaela Diaconu
Oana Neagu
Alexandru-Ioan Ulmeanu
Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
Diagnostics
children
ectopic pancreatic tissue
gastrointestinal bleeding
title Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
title_full Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
title_fullStr Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
title_full_unstemmed Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
title_short Various Phenotypes of Ectopic Pancreatic Tissue in Children: Case Series and Literature Review
title_sort various phenotypes of ectopic pancreatic tissue in children case series and literature review
topic children
ectopic pancreatic tissue
gastrointestinal bleeding
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/10/1193
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