Tumefactive necrobiotic granulomas (Nodulosis) of the pancreas in an adult with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid nodules are well-documented clinical and pathologic lesions in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current report documents the occurrence of rheumatoid nodulosis of the pancreas in an adult woman with a 7-year history of seropositive RA who presented with upper abdominal pain and was found to have multiple masses in the body and tail of the pancreas by imaging studies. An elevated serum pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and the development of new lesions in the pancreas prompted a subsequent distal pancreatectomy. The lesions in the pancreas proved to be necrobiotic palisading and hyalinizing granulomas upon pathologic examination. Also, of interest, elevation of serum PP has been observed in patients with RA and other systemic noninfectious and infectious inflammatory disorders in the absence of a pancreatic or intestinal neuroendocrine neoplasm.