Carlos Manterola; Josue Rivadeneira & Sofía Bendel

Pancreatic heterotopia (PH) is an uncommon finding in clinical practice. The term refers to pancreatic tissue that is distinct from the normal pancreas and has its own ductal and vascular supply. Obesity has emerged as a global epidemic, and bariatric surgery is the most successful approach for its treatment. During these surgeries, various uncommon abnormalities can be identified in the upper digestive tract, including the presence of PH. The objective of this manuscript was to report a case of PH incidentally found as a surgical specimen during bariatric surgery. A 32-year-old woman with severe obesity and associated comorbidities underwent surgical intervention at Clínica RedSalud Mayor Temuco in January 2018. She underwent a vertical gastrectomy plus jejunal bypass. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged two days after surgery. The anatomopathological study of the surgical specimen confirmed the presence of a 1 cm focus of ectopic pancreatic tissue. At the 6-year follow-up, she remains in good general condition, with a recent endoscopic study showing no abnormalities in the gastric remnant. PH is a rare lesion, even more so in sleeve gastrectomy specimens for morbid obesity. The clinical features and imaging characteristics of this type of lesion are nonspecific. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, and the prognosis is favorable if complete resection is achieved.

KEY WORDS: Heterotopic Tissue; Ectopic Tissue; Gastric Ectopic Pancreas; Heterotopic pancreas; Sleeve gastrectomy; Case report.