Abstract
Two patients with a recently recognized pancreatic neoplasm are reported. In both cases the tumors occurred in young women (21 and 24 years) who presented with an abdominal mass. Both tumors were large (approximately 12 x 12 cm), one requiring a distal 85% pancreatectomy and the other a total pancreatectomy. Gross pathologic examination revealed apparent encapsulation, cystic degeneration, and hemorrhagic necrosis. Microscopically, the tumors were characterized by distinctive solid and papillary patterns. Such lesions have been reported recently in the pathology literature as "solid and papillary" or "papillary-cystic" neoplasms of the pancreas. Approximately 60 such cases have been reported to date. The histogenesis of these lesions is debatable. They may be diagnosed incorrectly as adenocarcinomas, islet cell tumors, cystadenomas, or cystadenocarcinomas. Assessing the degree of malignancy can be difficult since this tumor is capable of local invasion but usually does not metastasize. There is only one report of a patient dying from distant metastases. Both patients presented here are alive and well seven and 24 months post-surgery. It would appear that despite their large size these pancreatic tumors are potentially curable by surgical resection.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Boor P. J., Swanson M. R. Papillary-cystic neoplasm of the pancreas. Am J Surg Pathol. 1979 Feb;3(1):69–75. doi: 10.1097/00000478-197902000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cubilla A. L., Fitzgerald P. J. Classification of pancreatic cancer (nonendocrine). Mayo Clin Proc. 1979 Jul;54(7):449–458. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hamoudi A. B., Misugi K., Grosfeld J. L., Reiner C. B. Papillary epithelial neoplasm of pancreas in a child. Report of a case with electron microscopy. Cancer. 1970 Nov;26(5):1126–1134. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197011)26:5<1126::aid-cncr2820260524>3.0.co;2-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schlosnagle D. C., Campbell W. G., Jr The papillary and solid neoplasm of the pancreas: a report of two cases with electron microscopy, one containing neurosecretory granules. Cancer. 1981 Jun 1;47(11):2603–2610. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19810601)47:11<2603::aid-cncr2820471115>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tepper J., Nardi G., Sutt H. Carcinoma of the pancreas: review of MGH experience from 1963 to 1973. Analysis of surgical failure and implications for radiation therapy. Cancer. 1976 Mar;37(3):1519–1524. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197603)37:3<1519::aid-cncr2820370340>3.0.co;2-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]