title: [Clinical characteristics and malignant predictive factors in patients with nonfunctioning islet cell tumors of the pancreas].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is difficult to determine preoperatively whether nonfunctioning islet cell tumors (NFICTs) are malignant or benign. The purposes of this study were to evaluate clinical characteristics and to differentiate benign from malignant behavior of NFICTs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 21 patients with NFICTs between 1990 and 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 51.4+/-13.2 years and female was predominant. Tumor size ranged from 0.5 to 13 cm (average 3.3+/-1.8 cm). Thirteen patients had variable symptoms. Histologically, 14 tumors were malignant and 7 were benign. In 9 out of 13 patients, pancreatogram showed narrowing of the main pancreatic duct, which was more frequently detected in patients with malignant NFICTs than in patients with benign ones (p<0.01). Surgical resection was performed in 20 patients. All patients with benign NFICTs are still alive after surgery, while 3 out of 14 patients with malignant NFICTs died 11, 22, 30 months after operation or diagnosis, respectively. The follow up time ranged from 1 to 111 months (mean 32.6 months)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presenting symptoms of patients with NFICTs were non-specific. The malignancy rate of NFICTs was high. Narrowing of the main pancreatic duct on pancreatogram suggested the malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Myoung Kuk
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jeong Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.forename: Young Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kwang Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Duck Jong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sung Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018273:Carcinoma, Islet Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*