SEGMENTAL PANCREATECTOMY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SMALL LESIONS IN THE NECK OR BODY OF THE PANCREAS

Background/Aims: To avoid any profound deficit in the pancreatic funct ions as well as to successfully make a histological diagnosis of such lesions, we performed resections of a small segment of the pancreatic neck or body. This article discusses the practicality of this procedur e as well as the complications and evaluation of the pancreatic functi ons after surgery. Patients and Methods: A segmental pancreatectomy wa s performed in patients with small lesions of the pancreatic neck or b ody. There were a total of 24 patients including 11 with hyperplasia, 7 with chronic pancreatitis, 4 with mucinous or serous cystadenoma, an d each one with islet cell carcinoma (low-grade malignancy) and carcin oma in situ. Results: No major complications occurred following surger y. The pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions were well maintaine d in all patients except for two with chronic pancreatitis. Conclusion s: Based on, out findings, a segmental pancreatectomy for small lesion s in the pancreatic neck or body seems to be a safe and effective proc edure for minimizing the postoperative deficit in the pancreatic funct ions, while it also allows for art accurate diagnosis of lesions that are often difficult to differentially diagnose for malignancy.