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. 2021 Dec;406(8):2633-2642.
doi: 10.1007/s00423-021-02349-9. Epub 2021 Nov 4.

State-of-the-art surgical treatment of IPMNs

Roberto Salvia  1 , Anna Burelli  1 , Giampaolo Perri  1 , Giovanni Marchegiani  2   3
Affiliations

State-of-the-art surgical treatment of IPMNs

Roberto Salvia et al. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Background: A "pandemic" of incidentally discovered pancreatic cyst neoplasms (PCNs) is ongoing. Among PCNs, intraductal papillary mucinous cystic neoplasms (IPMNs) are the most common and with their complex biology could represent a precursor lesion of pancreatic cancer. Although multiple guidelines exist to guide their treatment, there are still many "gray areas" on indications for surgery for IPMNs.

Methods: The current indications for surgery of IPMNs were reappraised, considering potential discrepancies between available evidence and guidelines policies. The practice at a high-volume center for the diagnosis and treatment of PCN was presented and discussed.

Results: Most IPMNs do not and will never require surgery, as they won't progress to malignancy. The current literature is solid in identifying high-grade dysplasia (HGD) as the right and timely target for IPMN resection, but how to precisely assess its presence remains controversial and guidelines lack of accuracy in this regard. Multiple tumorigenic pathways of progression of IPMNs exist, and their knowledge will likely lead to more accurate tests for malignancy prediction in the future.

Conclusions: The surgical management of IPMNs still is a matter of debate. Indication for resection should be considered only in highly selected cases with the ideal target of HGD. Clinicians should critically interpret the guidelines' indications, refer to a multidisciplinary team discussion, and always consider the outcome of an adequate counselling with the patient.

Keywords: IPMN; Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms; Pancreatic cystic neoplasms; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; Pancreatic surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The clinical management of IPMNs at the Verona Pancreas Institute
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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