Mucinous cystadenocarcinomas of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of mucinous cystadenocarcinomas (MCACs) of the pancreas.

METHODOLOGY: This is a retrospective review of 6 patients who underwent curative resection for MCACs of the pancreas in the Department of General Endocrine and Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk from 1994-2004. Clinical presentation, radiological evaluation and surgical procedures were analyzed.

RESULTS: There were 4 women and 2 men. Median age was 59 years. Patients complained of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weigh loss, 2 of them had jaundice and 1 gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed cystic lesions. Solid component was found in 3 cases. Three endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographys (ERCPs) were unhelpful in differentiating between malignant tumor and benign lesion. All patients underwent resection. In 3 cases Whipple resection, in 1 case Traverso - Longmire resection and in 2 cases distal pancreatectomy was performed. Histopathologically, all tumors were mucinous cystadenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic accuracy for cystic pancreatic neoplasm is still limited. Surgical resection is recommended in all cystic tumors that are not clearly defined.