Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with uncertain malignant potential: report of two cases.
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.
Ballarin
Roberto
R
Liver and Multivisceral Transplant Center and Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 71 Via del Pozzo, 41100, Modena, Italy.
Masetti
Michele
M
Losi
Luisa
L
Di Benedetto
Fabrizio
F
Di Sandro
Stefano
S
De Ruvo
Nicola
N
Montalti
Roberto
R
Romano
Antonio
A
Guerrini
Gian-Piero
GP
De Blasiis
Maria-Grazia
MG
Spaggiari
Mario
M
Gerunda
Giorgio Enrico
GE
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*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor