Solid‐pseudopapillary neoplasm of pancreas

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: the surgical procedures

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of solid pseudopapillary tumor and assess the curative effects of different procedures.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed in 34 patients with this tumor surgically treated between January 2000 and June 2008. These patients were divided into minimized and standard resection groups. The clinical data of the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirty-one females and three males were included in this study. There were no significant differences in age, blood glucose, hemoglobin, and albumin between the two groups. The surgical time for patients with a standard resection was longer (225 vs 124 min, P = 0.004), the transfusion rate was higher (52.6% vs 13.3%, P = 0.030), and the hospital stay was prolonged (21 vs 16 days, P = 0.034) in comparison to those who underwent a minimized resection. The complications rate in the standard resection group was higher than that in the minimized resection group, although no significant difference was found (42.1% vs 26.7%, P = 0.476). The long-term follow-up showed that all of the patients survived without recurrence except for one patient who died of other diseases 29 months after surgery.

CONCLUSION

A solid pseudopapillary tumor is a latent malignant tumor with excellent prognosis after its complete removal. When feasible, a minimized resection, such as enucleation and a segmental pancreatectomy, is a suitable approach, with excellent early and long-term results.

Four cases of solid pseudopapillary tumors of pancreas: Imaging findings and pathological correlations

OBJECTIVE

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPTP tumor) is a rare pancreatic neoplasm with low malignant potential, which usually affects female patients in the second or third decades of life. It is a non-functional, slow-growing neoplasm that very often reaches considerable size before the first symptoms appear. Symptomatology is frequently related to tumor size. Surgical excision is usually curative in most cases. Infrequently the tumor can appear in male patients or in aged women, which can make the diagnosis more difficult. Some patients develop liver metastases in the follow-up that can be resected. Our purpose is to review the radiological and pathological findings of SPTP with emphasis on these infrequent cases.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The medical records and radiological findings of patients who underwent surgery for SPTP between 2000 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Study eligibility required that patients had undergone surgical resection and that a SPTP had been pathologically proved.

RESULTS

Four cases of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas were diagnosed and treated in our institution in the study period. Two of the patients, developed on follow-up liver metastases, and peritoneal, hepatic, and nodal metastases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Solid pseudopapillary tumors are well-encapsulated neoplasms that usually have a good prognosis after surgical excision. A malignant behavior is uncommon and in this case lymph node involvement, hepatic metastases and occasionally peritoneal invasion may also occur. Resection of liver metastases can prolong the long-term survival of the patients.