Tumors of the vaterian region indications, findings and prognosis : about 49 cases

This retrospective study is about 49 cases of tumors of the vaterian region collected between 1976 and 2001. Tumors of the vaterian region represented 7% of the bilio-pancreatic tumors. The study was about 18 women and 31 men, with sex-ratio of 1.7. The mean age was 61 years. Treatment was surgical : cephalic duodeno-pancreatectomy (28 patients) or ampullectomy (5 patients). Rate of tumor resectability was 69.4%. Bilio-digestive derivation was practiced on 13 patients and therapeutic abstention was decided for 3 patients. Age over 65 years, rate of bilirubine superior to 120 mmol/l and surgery done in emergency were elements of bad prognosis that increased post-operative mortality of following cephalic duodeno-pancreatectomy. Global mortality and morbidity were respectively 16% and 24%. Factors of poor prognosis were essentially: Tumor of large size, infiltration of the surrounding structures and tumor with metastases. The survival after bilio-digestive derivation didn't pass the 8 months. Five year survivals cephalic duodeno-pancréatectomy represented 20%. It depended on the degree of the local invasion. This 5 years survival rate to was 85% for stage I (classification of Martin) and 10% for stage IV.