Adenoma of the common human bile duct in Gardner's syndrome may cause relapsing acute pancreatitis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis of the colon, or Gardner's syndrome, is often accompanied by adenomas of the stomach and duodenum. We experienced a rare case of Gardner's syndrome, with adenomas of the common bile duct, in a patient who presented with relapsing acute pancreatitis. Our findings indicate that adenoma in the common bile duct or pancreatic duct should be considered as a possible etiology when patients with familial polyposis or Gardner's syndrome present with pancreatitis, particularly relapsing acute pancreatitis.