The Standard Surgical Treatment of Cystic Tumors of the Pancreas

Abstract

The prevalence of cystic tumors of the pancreas appears to be increasing in incidence over time, most likely due to the presence of more sophisticated imaging modalities, as well as the common use of high-definition imaging techniques (e.g., CT scan) for the diagnosis or follow-up of many different diseases and conditions in the general population. Today a prevalence of as high as 30 % of cystic neoplasms in the pancreas is reported by some studies in the general population. In parallel, the volume of pancreatic surgery performed for cystic neoplasm of the pancreas has increased over the years. In contrast to solid tumors of the pancreas, cystic lesions are much less classified as a “surgical disease.” Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, which are a subset of cystic lesions, are a relatively large group of pancreatic tumors as defined by the WHO in 2010. However, in the clinical practice, there are four more common cystic tumors of the pancreas: intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs), serous cystic neoplasms (SCNs), and solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs). The relative distribution of these tumors is reported in Table 10.1.