A pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous tumor causing recurrent acute pancreatitis at the onset of menstrual periods.

The unusual case of a young woman with pancreatitis recurring at onset of her menstrual periods is reported. The patient was diagnosed with pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IPMT). The temporal relation of clinical exacerbation of pancreatitis to the menstrual cycle is suggestive of a hormonal-mediated mechanism. The hypothesis of a possible role of progesterone receptors was dismissed with verification of the absence of progesterone and estrogen receptors in the neoplastic tissue. The possible role of activin A or inhibin A in our patient's clinical picture is theorized.