Cases reported • Pancreatic Pseudocyst

1/27. Operative indications for cystic lesions of the pancreas with malignant potential--our experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are still many important but unclear points regarding the differential diagnosis and operative indications of cystic lesions of the pancreas with malignant potential. Studies of the clinicopathological and molecular biological characteristics of such diseases are necessary. In this paper, we discuss operative indications for this condition based on a review of the literature and our own experience. METHODOLOGY: Seven cases of serous cystadenoma and 9 cases of mucinous cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas that were operated on or autopsied in our department from 1980 to 1996 were analyzed clinicopathologically. Small cystic lesions incidentally found in 300 autopsied cases were also studied. Finally, mucin-producing tumors described in several reports were reviewed, and the branch type of this tumor was especially investigated. RESULTS: A marked disappearance of pancreatic acini in the upstream pancreas was found when serous cystadenoma became large. Papillary projection was histologically found in all of the cases. Tumorous invasion to the interstitium was suspected in tumors more than 5 cm in diameter, and malignancy was reported when tumors were larger than 6 cm. As for mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, the patients had a poor prognosis. In 2 of 42 cases with a pseudocyst, small duct cell carcinoma was incidentally found adjacent to the pseudocyst on the duodenal side. With regard to branch-type intraductal papillary neoplasm, 80% of the tumors larger than 4 cm were malignant. Most of the small cystic lesions found in elderly autopsy cases were accompanied by hyperplastic epithelia without evidence of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our experience, an operation should be considered and resection is recommended under the following circumstances: 1) cystic lesions in the body and tail of the pancreas in middle-aged women; 2) typical serous cystadenoma larger than 4 cm; 3) mucinous cystadenoma of any size; 4) branch-type intraductal papillary neoplasm larger than about 3 cm; and, 5) pseudocysts of unknown cause. Small cystic lesions in elderly patients should not necessarily be operated on, but should be followed-up carefully.

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2/27. Co-existence of a huge pseudocyst and mucinous cystadenoma: report of a case and the value of magnetic resonance imaging for differential diagnosis.

Co-existence of a pancreatic pseudocyst and a neoplastic cyst is rare and their differential diagnosis is difficult if the patient has an atypical history as well as subclinical symptoms. The formation of a pseudocyst under such circumstances is usually the result of downstream ductal obstruction by the neoplasm. Two large cysts were found in a 43-year-old woman who had symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction that were the result of external compression by one of the cysts. magnetic resonance imaging was superior to computed tomography, discriminating between the internal contents and surrounding tissue of the two cysts, enabling the correct preoperative diagnosis of a pseudocyst co-existing with a mucinous cystadenoma to be made. It was most unusual for the pseudocyst to be located downstream of the mucinous tumour, ruling out ductal obstruction by the tumour in its pathogenesis. A possible explanation for the pseudocyst formation in this case was pancreatic juice accumulation in the space of the lesser sac after pancreatic parenchymal destruction by the mucinous tumour.

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3/27. A giant retention cyst of the pancreas (cystic dilatation of dorsal pancreatic duct) associated with pancreas divisum.

We describe a rare case of pancreas divisum associated with a giant retention cyst (cystic dilatation of the dorsal pancreatic duct), presumably formed following obstruction of the minor papilla. The patient was treated by pancreatico(cysto)jejunostomy. A 50-year-old man was admitted with complaints of increasing upper abdominal distension and body weight loss. There was no previous history of pancreatitis, gallstones, drinking, or abdominal injury. An elastic-hard tumor-like resistance was palpable in the upper abdomen. Computed tomography and ultrasound (US) examinations revealed a giant cystic lesion expanding from the pancreas head to the tail. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography findings showed a looping pancreatic duct which drained only the head and uncinate process of the pancreas to the main papilla. A US-guided puncture to the cystic lesion revealed that the lesion continued to the main pancreatic duct in the tail of pancreas. The lesion was connected to a small cystic lesion, which was located inside the minor papilla, and ended there. The amylase level in liquid aspirated from the cyst was 37 869 IU/l, and the result of cytological examination of the liquid showed class II. A pancreatico(cysto)jejunostomy was performed, with the diagnosis being pancreas divisum associated with a retention cyst following obstruction of the minor papilla. The histological findings of a specimen from the cyst wall revealed that the wall was a pancreatic duct covered with mildly inflammatory duct epithelium; there was no evidence of neoplasm. The patient is currently well, and a CT examination 2 years after the operation showed disappearance of the cyst and normal appearance of the whole pancreas.

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4/27. pancreatic pseudocyst caused by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for right renal pelvic calculi.

A 39-year-old white man with a history of right renal pelvic stones treated 1 year before by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, but with no history of major surgery, alcoholism, pancreatitis, hyperparathyroidism or trauma, was admitted, suffering from an abdominal mass. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography revealed an enlarged pancreatic head (9 cm in transverse diameter) with, inside it, a heterogeneous, cyst-like structure, measuring 7 cm in diameter. It was suspected that this lesion was a cystic neoplasm and the patient underwent a proximal pancreaticoduodenectomy and a cholecystectomy. After the operation, the microscopic findings ruled out the presence of a neoplasm and we were obliged to reconsider the case. Speculating as to the possible role of past extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in determining the pancreatic pseudocyst, it was found that damage to the intra-abdominal organs during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy has been mentioned in published series, but it was also noted that this case seemed to differ from the other published cases, where cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia, gallbladder stones, or adhesions between the pancreas and surrounding tissue caused by laparotomy were considered the causes of the lithotripsy complications. We suggest a direct traumatic disruption of the pancreas as a result of the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and conclude that the post-lithotripsy follow-up should include periodic ultrasonographic investigation of the pancreas and serum amylase level determinations in order to diagnose pancreatic complications, if any, and plan the correct treatment.

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5/27. Ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with huge cystic degeneration: a lesion to be distinguished from pseudocyst and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are rare and often mistaken for pseudocyst by imaging studies and macroscopic examination. We describe an unusual tumor of the pancreas composed of a mural nodule of anaplastic carcinoma arising from a huge ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing cystic degeneration. The cyst measured 27 x 13 x 4 cm. light microscopy showed that the cyst was partly lined by a single layer of cuboidal to columnar tumor cells with focal mucin production and was surrounded by hyalinized connective tissue. Most lining epithelial cells were absent owing to extensive degenerative process. Immunohistochemical studies showed positive staining of cytokeratin and vimentin for pleomorphic giant tumor cells, which were negative for leukocyte common antigen (CD45), KP-1 (CD68), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The ductal adenocarcinoma stained strongly positive for cytokeratin and EMA, and negative for vimentin, CD45, CD68, and CEA. The clinical course of the current case was extremely poor and the prognosis resembled that of an anaplastic carcinoma. Therefore, we like to emphasize the importance of complete excision and extensive sampling of any cystic neoplasms in the pancreas including those with large cystic component to avoid missing the malignant elements.

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6/27. Macrocystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas in a young patient resembling a pseudocyst: case report and literature review.

Macrocystic serous cystadenoma is an unusual and essentially benign pancreatic tumor. Ages of reported cases are usually 60 years and over, with a mean age of 54 years. Herein, we report on a 26-year-old man who presented with upper abdominal pain. A cystic lesion in the mid-portion of the pancreas was revealed by abdominal computed tomography, and a pseudocyst was suspected. A distal pancreatectomy was performed with a splenectomy due to intractable abdominal pain and being unable to rule out to be a mucinous cystic neoplasm, which has a malignant potential. The histopathological diagnosis was macrocystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas. To our knowledge, this patient is the youngest person to present with such tumor. Clinical and pathologic features including complete immunohistochemical studies are presented, and we review the relevant literature.

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7/27. Solid pseudopapillary tumor as a possible cause of acute pancreatitis.

CONTEXT: Acute pancreatitis is not commonly seen in the first presentation of pancreatic neoplasms. Solid pseudopapillary tumor as a cause of acute pancreatitis has not yet been reported. This is the first report of acute pancreatitis resulting from solid pseudopapillary tumor. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 21-year-old female who presented with a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain associated with elevated serum pancreatic enzyme concentration. The initial diagnosis was acute pancreatitis. However, subsequent ultrasonography and computed tomography showed an abdominal mass in the tail of the pancreas, retroperitoneal fluid and left pleural effusion. There was scarce pain relief even with large doses of analgesics. A distal pancreatectomy was then performed and a final diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor was made histologically. The surrounding pancreatic tissue was characterized as hemorrhagic edematous pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Solid pseudopapillary tumor is generally known as a slow-growing pancreatic neoplasm with few, if any, symptoms. However, solid pseudopapillary tumors should be kept in mind as a possible cause of acute pancreatitis, especially in cases of non-alcoholic young women having an acute pancreatitis attack.

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8/27. Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: radiological-pathological correlation.

We report two cases to demonstrate the imaging features of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas (SPNP) in children. The SPNP is heterogeneous and often shows evidence of a pseudocapsule and haemorrhage, reflecting the pathology of this tumour. In an appropriate clinical context an accurate preoperative diagnosis can be made without the need for biopsy. This is important because tumour seeding may be more important in chemoresistant tumours such as SPNP than in the more common paediatric neoplasms.

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9/27. Mucinous cystadenoma of the pancreas associated with acute pancreatitis and concurrent pancreatic pseudocyst.

We report an unusual occurrence of a recurrent pancreatic pseudocyst caused by an underlying mucinous cystadenoma of the distal pancreas. A 54-year old female was admitted for acute pancreatitis. Her only risk factors included the use of hydrochlorothiazide and two or three glasses of wine daily. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) done a week after onset of her symptoms showed a 5-cm cystic lesion in the tail of the pancreas suspected to be a pseudocyst. Her symptoms subsequently resolved. One month later, she had another episode of pancreatitis and an abdominal CT showed an 11 x 16 cm pseudocyst along with the previously mentioned cystic lesion. Approximately 6 weeks after her initial presentation, she was taken to the operating room for an exploratory laparotomy and cyst gastrostomy for a symptomatic pseudocyst. An intraoperative frozen section of the cyst wall showed a fibrous wall with acute and chronic inflammation without an epithelial lining. Six weeks after her cyst gastrostomy, she returned with abdominal pain, early satiety, and anorexia. Abdominal CT showed reaccumulation of fluid within the pseudocyst and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed a normal caliber pancreatic duct with an abrupt cutoff at the distal duct. She underwent exploratory laparotomy with drainage of 3 L of fluid from the pancreatic pseudocyst. After gaining access to the lesser sac, a 6-cm cystic lesion was identified in the tail of the pancreas. She underwent a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. The intraoperative and final pathology confirmed the presence of a benign mucinous cystadenoma. The patient had an uneventful recovery, began to tolerate oral intake, and was discharged 7 days after surgery. The differentiation between a pancreatic pseudocyst and benign cystic neoplasms of the pancreas is crucial to determine treatment options. Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, whether mucinous or serous, have the potential to harbor malignancy, and resection is recommended.

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10/27. Mucinous cystic neoplasm in a young male patient.

A 25-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital with a history of recurrent pancreatitis and a pseudocyst of the pancreas. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an encapsulated multilocular cystic mass 5 cm in diameter in the pancreatic tail. Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated a mural nodule, and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography showed a communication of the lesion with the main pancreatic duct. A neoplastic cystic tumor was suspected, and a resection of the body tail of the pancreas was performed. The lesion was a multilocular cyst having a common fibrous capsule and viscous content. Histologically, the cystic lesion was lined with a single layer of columnar cells with low-grade atypia. Ovarian-type stroma (OS) was confirmed, and it showed positive for antiestrogen receptor and antiprogesteron receptor staining. Based on these findings, the lesion was diagnosed as mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), an adenoma that shows extraordinarily high prevalence in women. Further study on the pathogenesis of MCN in male patients should be undertaken to elucidate the process of development.

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