Periampullary Carcinoma in Pregnancy - A Rare Cause of Jaundice in Pregnant Population

Abstract

Periampullary carcinoma is one of the rarest cancers worldwide and causes >30,000 deaths annually in the United States (US). These cancers arise in close approximation to the papilla of Vater and include tumors of the distal common bile duct, ampullary region, duodenum, and pancreas. The clinical characteristics and curative approaches of the periampullary tumor spectrum are almost similar; however, their long-term outcomes are generally different. In this report, a case of periampullary adenocarcinoma was presented, diagnosed during the first trimester of a woman. As it is quite a rare entity in pregnancy, it should be suspected when patients complain of epigastric pain and jaundice with laboratory parameters suggestive of biliary tract obstruction during pregnancy to avoid misdiagnosis. The need to optimize both maternal and fetal outcomes is essentially challenging when surgical interventions are required for staging and various therapeutic purposes.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.