Efferent Loop Syndrome in a Post-pancreatoduodenectomy Patient Due to Exuberant Foreign Body Giant Cell Reaction Mimicking Cancer: A Case Report

Abstract

Efferent loop syndrome has been rarely reported after pancreatoduodenectomy. In those cases that have been reported, the majority presented late and recurrence or peritoneal metastases were found to be the usual causes. Foreign body giant cell reactions (FBGCR) also rarely develop into masses that are large enough to cause problems or mimic malignancy. This report presents a case of a middle-aged female who underwent completion extended cholecystectomy for carcinoma of the gallbladder. Whipple’s pancreatoduodenectomy was also performed at the same surgery due to presence of a hard mass at the cystic duct stump that was densely adherent to the common bile duct and duodenal cap. This was later found to be FBGCR. The patient underwent re-exploration just three weeks later for efferent loop syndrome, the cause of which was again found to be a mass due to FBGCR that was not previously present. Despite a difficult initial treatment phase, the patient is disease free and doing well after two and half years of completing treatment for the carcinoma gallbladder.