Gallstone pancreatitis masking malignancy: when is additional imaging warranted?

Abstract

Gallstones are common and they are a common cause of acute pancreatitis. Gallstones are themselves also a recognised risk factor for biliary malignancy, along with advancing age and female sex. We report two cases that highlight how presumed gallstone pancreatitis can mask coexisting malignancy. They illustrate that when patients present with gallstone pancreatitis in the presence of additional risk factors or constitutional features such as unintentional weight loss or anaemia, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion and pursue further diagnostic work-up to detect and stage any underlying malignancy.