Pancreatic cystadenoma: report of 2 clinical cases and review of the literature

The Authors present two rare cases of pancreatic serous cystadenomas. Preoperative diagnosis of these neoplasms is very difficult despite the routine use of echotomography and CT, because the definitive diagnosis is provided only by histological examination of the surgical specimen. General agreement exists as to surgical indication. Surgical tactics depend on tumour localization: duodenocephalopancreatectomy for tumours of the head of the pancreas, and distal pancreatectomy for tumours located in the tail, as can be seen from a review of the recent literature. In both cases reported, the neoplasm was located in the pancreatic body. The treatment consisted in distal pancreatectomy. Splenectomy was necessary only in one of the two cases. During the follow-up the first patient died after 11 years without relapse. The second died 10 months postoperatively of an undifferentiated low rectal cancer. CT scans and sequential laparotomy showed no local relapse of the pancreatic tumours.