Abstract
Cutaneous granulomas presenting as skin nodules are the most common extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Granulomas are defined as a form of chronic inflammatory response characterized by aggregation of activated histiocytes. Visceral granulomas are a rare complication of long-standing RA and have been described twice in the literature. We report a case of a 55-year-old woman with a 15-year history of RA. The patient presented with epigastric pain and weight loss. Imaging studies showed a large soft tissue mass in the head of the pancreas, which was suspected to be malignant. A Whipple procedure was performed, and histological examination revealed multiple non-caseating granulomas with central liquefaction and neutrophilic infiltrate. Ziehl-Neelsen stain for acid-fast bacilli and tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction were negative. The patients’ granulomas were diagnosed as rheumatoid granulomas. Five years after diagnosis, the patient is doing well and has no complications.
Keywords
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.5001/omj.2021.37
- Journal
- Oman Medical Journal
- Publisher
- Oman Medical Specialty Board
- Open access
- Gold open access
Cite this article
APA 7
Elshebli, S., Abureesh, O., & Awad, H. (2021). Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Oman Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.37
MLA 9
Elshebli, Sanad, et al. "Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis." Oman Medical Journal, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.37.
Chicago (author–date)
Elshebli, Sanad, Omar Abureesh, and Heyam Awad. 2021. "Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis." Oman Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.37.
Harvard
Elshebli, S., Abureesh, O. and Awad, H. (2021) 'Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis', Oman Medical Journal. doi:10.5001/omj.2021.37.
Vancouver
Elshebli S, Abureesh O, Awad H. Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Oman Medical Journal. 2021. doi:10.5001/omj.2021.37
IEEE
S. Elshebli, O. Abureesh, and H. Awad, "Pancreatic Rheumatoid Granulomas: A Case Report of a Rare Complication of Rheumatoid Arthritis," Oman Medical Journal, 2021, doi: 10.5001/omj.2021.37.