Pancreatoblastoma. Three original cases and review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of pancreatoblastoma.


METHODS
We studied 3 cases of pancretoblastoma and reviewed another 59 cases. Parameters analyzed were tumor site, hemorrhage, capsule formation, necrosis, vascularity, production of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cystic changes and calcification.


RESULTS
The diagnostic findings were as follows: pancreatic head origin (24/54, 44%), pancreatic body and tail origin (30/54, 56%), hemorrhage (16/17, 94%), capsule formation (24/26, 92%), necrosis (28/31, 90%), hypervascularity (10/14, 71%), production of AFP (19/28, 68%), cystic changes (11/16, 69%), and calcification (10/21, 48%). All neonatal cases demonstrated cystic changes. Three of them were patients with Beckwith-Wiedmann syndrome. The incidence of capsule formation and calcification was not related to the origin of the tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
The most common features of pancreatoblastoma are hemorrhage, capsule formation and necrosis.
Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
E
E
Kohda
M
M
Iseki
H
H
Ikawa
M
M
Endoh
J
J
Yokoyama
M
M
Mukai
J
J
Hata
H
H
Yamazaki
J
J
Miyauchi
M
M
Saeki
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography