Cystic Lesions of the Pancreas: Eleven Cases

To describe clinicopathological, and radiological features of cystic lesions of the pancreas. We retrospectively analyzed eleven cases of cystic lesions of the pancreas that were diagnosed at the Pathology Department of Mongi Slim hospital over a fourteen-year period (2000- 2013). Relevant clinical information and microscopic slides were available in almost all cases and were retrospectively reviewed. We adopted the latest WHO classification (2010) in grouping all tumours. Our study group included 2 male and 9 female patients (sex ratio M/F = 0.22) aged between 21 and 68 years (mean = 42.3 years). The most common clinical presentation was abdominal pain (n=11). Abdominal CT scan disclosed a cystic lesion of the pancreas ranging in size between 4.5 and 10 cm. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen established the diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (n=2), serous cystadenoma (n= 3), mucinous cystadenoma (n= 3), mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (n=1), pseudocyst (n=1) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with invasive carcinoma (n=1). Pancreatic cysts form a heterogeneous group of tumours. While some show benign behaviour, others have an unequivocal malignant potential and, in addition, are precursors of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma such that their detection allows prevention or early treatment of this disease. It is therefore, of utmost importance and one of the most urgent challenges for pancreatologists today to improve the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of cystic lesions of the pancreas, and to define criteria for the distinction of benign from malignant, or potentially malignant, lesions.