Abdominal tuberculosis with pancreatic head involvement mimicking pancreatic malignancy in a young man: A case report

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic tuberculosis (PTB) is a rare disease, even in immunocompetent hosts. Abdominal tuberculosis involving the pancreatic head and peripancreatic areas may simulate pancreatic head carcinoma. CASE SUMMARY: We present the case of a 32-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital for intermittent epigastric pain and weight loss. A computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the head of the pancreas. The lesion was initially diagnosed as pancreatic head carcinoma on abdominal imaging. Laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis of PTB and the patient received antituberculosis therapy. CONCLUSION: The present case is reported to emphasize the importance of including PTB in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions.