Background: Cancer of the pancreas is the primary malignant tumour of the pancreas commonly seen in the elderly. Hepatitis B virus infection is not a known marker of the disease, but patient with carcinoma head of the pancreas presenting with epigastric mass with positive hepatitis B infection in the region of the world with high endemicity for hepatitis B virus infection may cause diagnostic pitfall.
Objective: To present a case of carcinoma head of the pancreas masqueradingas hepatocellular carcinoma
Methods: A review of the case note, autopsy findings including gross and microscopic examinations and literature was done.
Results: An elderly woman with history of weight loss and cigarette smoking.There was an epigastric mass and the liver was enlarged. The serum hepatitis B antigen was positive. Autopsy revealed an ill-defined mass in the head of the pancreas with metastasis to the liver.
Conclusion: Things are not always what they seem.