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Uncommon presentations of common pancreatic neoplasms: a pictorial essay

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Abstract

Pancreatic neoplasms are a wide group of solid and cystic lesions with different and often characteristic imaging features, clinical presentations, and management. Among solid tumors, ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common: it arises from exocrine pancreas, comprises about 90% of all pancreatic neoplasms, and generally has a bad prognosis; its therapeutic management must be multidisciplinary, involving surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, and radiotherapists. The second most common solid pancreatic neoplasms are neuroendocrine tumors: they can be divided into functioning or non-functioning and present different degrees of malignancy. Cystic pancreatic neoplasms comprise serous neoplasms, which are almost always benign, mucinous cystic neoplasms and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, which can vary from benign to frankly malignant lesions, and solid pseudopapillary tumors. Other pancreatic neoplasms, such as lymphoma, metastases, or pancreatoblastoma, are rarely seen in clinical practice and have different and sometimes controversial managements. Rare clinical presentations and imaging appearance of the most common pancreatic neoplasms, both solid and cystic, are more frequently seen and clinically relevant than rare pancreatic tumors; their pathologic and radiologic appearances must be known to improve their management. The purpose of this paper is to present some rare or uncommon clinical and radiological presentations of common pancreatic neoplasms providing examples of multi-modality imaging approach with pathologic correlations, thus describing the histopathological bases that can explain the peculiar imaging features, in order to avoid relevant misdiagnosis and to improve lesion management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, G.B. Rossi Hospital, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Mirko D’Onofrio, Riccardo De Robertis & Stefano Crosara

  2. Department of Pathology, G.B. Rossi Hospital, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Paola Capelli

  3. Department of Radiology, Casa di Cura Pederzoli, Via Monte Baldo 24, 37019, Peschiera Del Garda, Italy

    Paolo Tinazzi Martini & Emilio Barbi

  4. Department of Pathology, Casa di Cura Pederzoli, Via Monte Baldo 24, 37019, Peschiera Del Garda, Italy

    Stefano Gobbo

  5. Department of Surgery, Pancreas Institute, G.B. Rossi Hospital, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Giovanni Butturini, Roberto Salvia & Claudio Bassi

  6. Department of Surgery, Casa di Cura Pederzoli, Via Monte Baldo 24, 37019, Peschiera Del Garda, Italy

    Roberto Girelli & Paolo Pederzoli

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  1. Mirko D’Onofrio
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D’Onofrio, M., De Robertis, R., Capelli, P. et al. Uncommon presentations of common pancreatic neoplasms: a pictorial essay. Abdom Imaging 40, 1629–1644 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-015-0388-x

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