Adenocarcinoma of the Distal Pancreas Presenting as an Intrathoracic Mass

Tumors of the pancreatic head may present with early heralding symptoms such as obstructive jaundice. Pancreatic masses within the body or tail usually have delayed diagnosis secondary to the lack of any early findings, which, in turn, leads to a higher incidence of involvement of adjacent structures, such as the superior mesenteric artery, portal vein, or superior mesenteric vein. Local involvement along with distant metastases or larger tumor size may be contraindications to surgical resection. The authors report a case of advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma in which the anomalous thoracic location of the organ resulted in the tumor being resectable. This case adds support to an aggressive approach to surgical resection of distal pancreatic tumors.