Heterotrophic gastric mucosa presenting as indolent lower abdominal pain and masking as ectopic pancreas : the role of digital rectal examination in the management of undifferentiated lower abdominal pain

Abstract

A case of inflamed ileal Heterotropic Gastric Mucosa, presenting in a non-English speaking migrant of African descent, soon after his recovery from COVID-19, with early predominant signs apparent only on digital rectal examination (DRE); masking as ectopic pancreatic tissue on computed tomography images and the nature of which was only confirmed histopathologically. We put forward an argument for non-dismissal of the role DRE can have in the management of undifferentiated lower abdominal pain while revising the nature of ectopic pancreas and why this case was in fact not such.