Objective:

In this study, in light of current literature; we studied the diagnostic- therapeutic and prognostic features of pancreatic lesions located in the body and tail, for which we performed distal pancreatectomy.

Methods:

Ten patients with pancreatic lesions, who were treated surgically with distal pancreatectomy between the years 2005-2010, in the General Surgery Clinics of Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively, regarding their demographic-clinical-pathological features and diagnostic methods.

Results:

Three of the patients were male and 7 were female. The median age of patients was 57.2 (the youngest 27, the oldest 81), with 3 of them having lesions located in the tail and 7 in the body of the pancreas. All of the patients underwent distal pancreatectomy, 5 of which had additional splenectomy. Their pathologic examinations revealed 3 serous cystadenomas, 2 mucinous cystic neoplasms, 2 solid pseudopapillary tumors, 1 ductal adenocarcinoma, 1 acinary cell carcinoma, and 1 neuroendocrine tumor. The median follow-up interval was 2 years.

Conclusion:

Tumors of the pancreatic tail and body are extraordinary lesions, with low malignant potential. Most of the patients are young females. The most common complaint is abdominal pain or a palpable abdominal mass, with 50% being asymptomatic. These lesions are prone to local invasion. Prognosis is excellent, following a complete surgical resection, and recurrence is uncommon. Diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer are still a major concern, due to its poor prognosis. Because there are no specific early findings, symptoms appear only when it compresses or invades the neighboring structures. Curative resection is possible in 10%-20% and 15% of pancreatic masses located in the body and tail, respectively. Early diagnosis of these lesions is still a challenge that we must overcome.

Keywords: Extraordinary pancreatic mass, distal pancreatectomy