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Cystic tumors of the pancreas
Abstract
Cystic tumors of the pancreas are less frequent than solid
lesions and are often detected incidentally, as many of these
lesions are small and asymptomatic. However, they may be
associated with pancreatitis or have malignant potential. With
advancements in diagnostic imaging, cystic lesions of the
pancreas are being detected with increasing frequency. Many
lesions can cause a pancreatic cyst, most being non-neoplastic
while approximately 10% are cystic tumors, ranging from benign
to highly malignant tumors. With increasing experience it is
becoming clear that the prevalence of pseudocyst among cystic
lesions of the pancreas is lower than usually presumed. A
presumptive diagnosis of pseudocyst based on imaging appearance
alone can cause a diagnostic error, and neoplastic cysts of the
pancreas are particularly susceptible to this misdiagnosis,
which can result in inappropriate treatment. Cystic tumors of
the pancreas are formed by serous or mucinous structures showing
all stages of cellular differentiation. According to the WHO
classification, they can be subdivided on the basis of their
histological type and biological behavior into benign tumors,
borderline tumors, and malignant tumors. Cystic pancreatic
tumors can be subdivided into peripheral (serous cystadenomas,
mucinous cystic tumors, solid and papillary epithelial
neoplasms, cystic islet cell tumors), which do not communicate
with the main pancreatic duct, and ductal tumors (mucinous
tumor), according to their site of origin. On the basis of
imaging criteria alone, it can be very difficult to
differentiate non-tumoral cystic lesions from neoplastic ones.
The management of these patients is complex, and it is important
to correlate imaging findings with knowledge of the patient's
symptoms and of the natural history and predictors of malignancy
in pancreatic cysts.
Author
Giovanni Morana and Alessandro Guarise
Contact Details
Corresponding address:
Giovanni Morana,
Department of Radiology,
Hospital Ca' Foncello,
Piazza Ospedale 1,
31100, Treviso, Italy
Reference
ICIS Cancer Imaging Volume 6 Issue 1
DOI: 10.1102/1470-7330.2006.0012
Date Posted
13 July 2006
Open Access is provided for this article.
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