Esophagus
Congenital anomalies
Heterotopic / ectopic pancreatic tissue
Author: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
Last author update: 1 August 2013
Last staff update: 13 January 2025 (update in progress)
Copyright: 2003-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Ectopic pancreatic tissue esophagus
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Cytology description | Positive stainsCite this page: Weisenberg E. Heterotopic / ectopic pancreatic tissue. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/esophagusectopicpancreatic.html. Accessed January 20th, 2025.
Definition / general
- Also called pancreatic heterotopia
- At gastroesophageal junction in 16% of pediatric / young adult patients (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2000;124:1165)
- May be congenital and independent of Barrett esophagus (Am J Surg Pathol 1996;20:1507)
- Usually no clinical significance but theoretically may exacerbate reflux esophagitis; rarely exhibits pathologic changes of pancreatic tissue, including ductal carcinoma (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1994;118:568), other malignancy (Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:259) or pancreatitis (Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 2005;15:345, Dig Dis Sci 1995;40:2373)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Benign appearing pancreatic ducts and acini
Cytology description
- Clusters of benign appearing ducts and small acini mixed with inflammatory cells (Diagn Cytopathol 2004;31:175)
Positive stains
- Trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase (Am J Surg Pathol 1995;19:1172)
