Solid and papillary neoplasm of the pancreas is a rare tumor, usually found in young female patient, seldom present with metastasis since it is a tumor with low potential of malignancy. The prognosis for this lesion is much more favorable than
that
for
other pancreatic neoplasms.
In an attempt to understand the characteristics and prognosis of this lesion, we reviewed twenty cases which were treated at the Department of Surgery of Severance Hospital, Yonsei medical Center from 1985 to 1994.
The patients' mean age was 25.6 years(range: 13 to 39 years), and 19 of them(95%) were women. Chief complaints were palpable mass(50%), pain(45%) or indigestion(5%). On laboratory studies, tumor markers, including CEA, CA125, CA19-9 and αFP were
studied in eight patients, but all were negative. Other laboratory findings were also nonspecific.
These tumors may occur anywhere in the pancreas. In our studies, the tumor was most often located in the tail(45%), and head(40%) of the pancreas.
These were treated by distal pancreatoduodenectomy(10%), enucleation(10%) or excision(5%). Significant morbidity or mortality was not observed during hospital stay and no recurrence or malignant degeneration occured during the mean follow-up
period
of 4
years(range: 1 month to 9 years).
In conclusion, this study suggest that patients with solid & papillary neoplasm of the pancreas have a good prognosis and might be curable if the disease is diagnosed early and the tumor is completely resected, so a higher index of suspicion and
more
aggressive diagnostic work-ups are needed in dealing with this disease entity.
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