Solid and papillary epithelial neoplasms of the pancreas

Abstract

Seven patients with solid and papillary epithelial neoplasms of the pancreas are reported. All were young women with a mean age of 22 years (range, 16 to 33 years old). Each patient had a large asymptomatic abdominal mass. The tumors ranged in size from 7 to 20 cm (average size, 13 cm) and were evenly distributed throughout the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. One patient had a metastatic tumor to her liver, which was unresectable. All other patients underwent resection, which included two distal pancreatectomies, two total pancreatectomies, one pancreaticoduodenectomy, and one local excision. Four of the seven patients had evidence of local invasions alone, and one had a liver metastasis and local invasion. All patients had the characteristic histologic pattern of a solid and papillary epithelial pancreatic neoplasm. All patients are alive with a mean follow-up of 10 years (range, 4 to 20 years). This is an unusual malignant neoplasm of the pancreas occurring predominantly in young women. Even though they are locally invasive, long-term survival is the rule. Surgical therapy should be aggressive, since liver metastasis may occur.