Squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas: report of a case and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Although, squamous metaplasia of the ductal columnar cells can be observed during periods of inflammation, squamous cell pancreatic carcinoma is an extremely rare tumour.


METHODS
We present the case of a 72-year-old man who presented to our hospital with painless obstructive jaundice. After careful and adequate staging investigations that revealed a malignant mass in the head of pancreas he underwent a laparotomy which revealed an inoperable pancreatic cancer. Palliative bypass procedure was done. The biopsy specimens revealed a squamous cell cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Pure squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a very rare malignancy. In most cases it is not possible to make a pre-operative histological diagnosis and curative resection is unlikely because of dissemination at the time of initial diagnosis or laparotomy.
Anagnostopoulos
George K
GK
Wolfson Digestive Diseases Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom. gkanagnostopoulos@yahoo.gr
Aithal
Guruprasad P
GP
Ragunath
Krish
K
Kaye
Philip
P
Rowlands
Brian J
BJ
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine