CYSTIC TUMORS OF THE PANCREAS

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are rare but in the last years more f requently detected. Within a 10-year-period we treated 30 patients, in cluding 8 serous cystadenomas, 6 mucinous cystadenomas, 12 mucinous cy stadenocarcinomas, 2 cystic neuro-endocrine tumors and 1 papillary cys tic tumor respectively acinar cell cystadenocarcinoma. 80% of the pati ents had symptoms, experienced abdominal pain, weight loss, weakness o r abdominal mass. In eight patients the tumors had been misdiagnosed a s a pancreatic pseudocyst. The correct type of cystic tumor was diagno sed by preoperative investigations only in few cases. All patients wit h serous or mucinous cystadenomas are well and without evident recurre nce after resection of the tumor. However the survival time of maligna nt cystic tumors varied strongly. The curative resection of these tumo rs give patients the chance of long-term survival.