Rapidly growing mass in the pancreas: intraductal Candida infection in a chronic recurrent pancreatitis

Abstract

Pancreatic fungal infection, especially Candidal infection occurs in almost every case associated with previous abdominal interventions, previous injury of the pancreas and severe acute necrotising pancreatitis. Reports on fungal infections in chronic pancreatic disease, however, are rare. Thus, we here report the extremely rare case of a 34-year-old man with chronic pancreatitis aggravated by Candidal colonisation, which clinically appeared as a rapid growing mass in the head of the pancreas two years after a complicated cholecystectomy. Below, we discuss the role of the infection in chronic pancreatitis and point out the differential diagnostic problems in this rare case.