{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T05:03:53Z","timestamp":1784178233645,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784160000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oncol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant exocrine tumor of the pancreas, often presenting with nonspecific symptoms that lead to diagnostic confusion with other pancreatic neoplasms. This article reports a case of a 72-year-old female ACC patient who was misdiagnosed as Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPN) by an external hospital. Laboratory investigations upon admission revealed a markedly elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level of 2321.18 ng\/mL, while contrast-enhanced CT of the upper abdomen demonstrated a mass in the pancreatic head, with the liver showing normal parenchyma and no focal masses or lesions. Following a multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion, the patient underwent a radical Pancreaticoduodenectomy. The final histopathological diagnosis confirmed ACC. This case underscores that in patients with pancreatic masses exhibiting misleading imaging features suggestive of SPN, a significantly elevated serum AFP level should serve as a critical diagnostic clue prompting consideration of ACC. Integrating tumor marker analysis, imaging findings, and MDT evaluation is essential to minimize preoperative misdiagnosis of such rare entities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2026.1795103","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T04:20:57Z","timestamp":1784175657000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Analysis of misdiagnosis of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma with significantly elevated alpha-fetoprotein: a case report and literature review"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Huihang","family":"Mei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University","place":["Weifang, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hao","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Weifang People\u2019s Hospital, Department of Pancreatic 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