Papillary cystic carcinoma of the pancreas and present status of pancreatic malignancies in Brunei

During the 10-year period from January 1986 to December 1995, a total of six cases of pancreatic carcinoma were documented in Brunei. Among them was a case of papillary cystic carcinoma of the pancreas, in which the patient, a 22-year-old woman, presented with a painless upper abdominal mass that had been increasing in size over a 6-year period. Ultrasonography showed a well circumscribed solid and cystic pancreatic mass. The tumor was excised locally and the patient remained disease-free at 8 months' follow-up. This papillary cystic carcinoma of the pancreas deserves special mention as it has a low-grade malignant potential, is amenable to local resection, and has a good long-term survival rate after excision.