[Clinical characteristics and malignant predictive factors in patients with nonfunctioning islet cell tumors of the pancreas].
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.
Kim
Hyun Jun
HJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Myung Hwan
MH
Lee
Sung Koo
SK
Lee
Sang Soo
SS
Bae
Jong Seok
JS
Jang
Myoung Kuk
MK
Byeon
Jeong Sik
JS
Min
Young Il
YI
Hwang
Shin
S
Park
Kwang Min
KM
Lee
Young Joo
YJ
Han
Duck Jong
DJ
Lee
Sung Gyu
SG
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*