Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm simulating carcinoma of the head of the pancreas.

Aneurysms of the pancreaticoduodenal arcades, although uncommon, may rupture and produce symptoms similar to those of pancreatic carcinoma. We describe one patient with a ruptured interior pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm and a large hematoma in the pancreatic head. He had a three-week history of painless jaundice. Angiography was essential in establishing the diagnosis and defining a vascular road map preoperatively. The surgical management involved resection of the aneurysm and vascular reconstruction.