title: Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with uncertain malignant potential: report of two cases.
abstract: Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (NETP) represent only 1%-2% of all pancreatic neoplasms. They can be classified as functioning or non-functioning, respectively, according to the presence or absence of paraneoplastic syndrome. Case 1 concerned a 70-year-old woman with a cystic lesion of the pancreatic head and body. All tumor markers were negative. The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy. The histology revealed a well-differentiated endocrine tumor with uncertain malignant potential. Case 2 was a 61-year-old man with chronic polyserositis. The serum tumor markers were negative, while he was strongly positive for intracystic tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and CA 125. The patient underwent a cephalo-pancreatic duodenectomy. The preoperative differential diagnosis of cystic NETP is still a challenge due to the high rate of the nonfunctional variant. Although cystic NETPs are well differentiated, they are still tumors with a malignant potential, and therefore an early diagnosis and radical surgical resection could be associated with a better long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: Liver and Multivisceral Transplant Center and Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 71 Via del Pozzo, 41100, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ballarin
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masetti
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Losi
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Sandro
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Ruvo
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montalti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Gian-Piero
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: Maria-Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: De Blasiis
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spaggiari
authors.forename: Giorgio Enrico
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Gerunda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor