Colloid carcinoma of the pancreas: review of selected pathological and clinical aspects

Colloid carcinoma (CC) of the pancreas is a histopathological variant of ductal adenocarcinoma, which is characterised by the presence of large pools of extracellular mucin, containing neoplastic cells. The mucin component comprises at least 50% of CC (according to the definition by the World Health Organization) or at least 80% of the tumour (according to the US Armed Forces Institute of Pathology). In the vast majority of cases, CC develop from pre-existing intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, especially those forming intestinal-type papillae and characterised by MUC2 expression. Data concerning the long-term prognosis in patients with CC are discrepant. In this review, the authors present contemporary definitions of CC, issues of its epidemiology, symptomatology, pre-operative diagnostics, histopathology, treatment and prognosis. Special attention has been paid to pathogenesis of CC.