title: Nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas: clinical presentation of 7 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (NPT) are rare and represent less than 0.5% of all pancreatic tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors describe the clinical presentation, the pathological findings and the treatment of 7 patients with nonfunctioning NPT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-specific symptoms were noted in 6 patients, depending on the size and the location of the tumor, and 1 patient was asymptomatic. A correct preoperative diagnosis was done in only one case. Immunohistochemical studies, most often on surgically resected tissue sample is needed for diagnosis of NPT. The treatment requires surgical resection. Among 4 patients (57%) classified No at the time of surgery, 3 (75%) are alive, free of recurrence, more than 2 years after tumor resection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preoperative diagnosis is difficult to assess. NPT differ from pancreatic adenocarcinomas by the younger age of the patients, their immunohistochemical pattern and a better prognosis after surgical resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery and Gastroenterology, and Pathology Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Closset
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delhaye
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sperduto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rickaert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies