Clinical analysis of 8 cases with solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas

Objective To evaluate the clinical presentations of solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas(SPT) and examine the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of SPT.Methods Eight patients with SPT managed in our hospital between April 1980 and July 2005 were reviewed.Results All the patients,female with mean age of 24.5 years(ranged from 18 to 34 years old) were diagnosed as SPT at our institution.Clinical presentation included a palpable abdominal mass in four patients and abdominal distention in another two.Two patients were asymptomatic;their tumors were found incidentally on abdominal sonographic examination for other reasons.Solid and solid-cystic masses of low echo were found in pancreas by ultrasonic examinations.CT scan found masses of low density in pancreas,while irregular enhancement appeared in the circumference or parenchyma of all tumors in enhanced CT scan sequences.Tumor markers in patients,serum were all negative.The lesions located in the body and tail in three cases and in the head of the pancreas in five.The mean diameter of the tumors in the eight patients was 6.2 cm(ranged from 4 to 8 cm).Pancreaticoduodenectomy were performed in 5 cases.Three patients underwent distal pancreatectomy and spleen resection.None of the patients received adjuvant therapy.The mean follow up was 7.25 years(ranged from 3 to 25 years).No evidence of relapses and metastasis in these cases was found.Conclusion Solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas is a rare tumor with low malignant potential,affecting primarily young women.Surgical resection is generally curative and the prognosis is excellent.