Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma. A case report and review of literature .
BACKGROUND
Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm with survival measurable in weeks. It presents as a large cystic mass with loco-regional and distant spread. Three histological types have been described: pleomorphic, spindle cell and sarcomatoid.


METHODS
We describe the case of a 74-year-old woman with pleomorphic anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas diagnosed after laparoscopic biopsy. The patient had a rapid downhill course with progression of the disease and demise within 4 weeks after diagnostic laparoscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
Due to the rapid spread of the disease, no effective cure exists for these tumors. A brief review of the histological and radiological findings and the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis of anaplastic tumors is included in the discussion.
Chadha
Manpreet K
MK
Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
LeVea
Charles
C
Javle
Milind
M
Kuvshinoff
Boris
B
Vijaykumar
Rekha
R
Iyer
Renuka
R
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009852:Omentum / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed