PANCREATECTOMY FOR INTRADUCTAL PAPILLARY- MUCINOUS TUMOR OF THE PANCREAS

Twelve cases of pancreatectomy for intraductal papillary-mucinous tumo r of the pancreas operated between August 1985 and February 1996 are r eported. Mean age of the patients was 57.6 years (range: 25 to 77 year s). Two of them were female and 10 were male. Ten patients underwent a pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, one patient a segmental i sthmic pancreatectomy and one other a left pancreatectomy. Histologic examination of the operative specimen showed benign ademomatosis with severe dysplasia in 3 cases, intramucosal or microinvasive carcinoma i n 7 cases and invasive carcinoma in 2 cases. Two patients died during the period of follow-up, one at 20 months from metastases, the other o ne at 33 months accidentally. The 10 remaining patients were alive and disease-free with a follow-up of 3 to 93 months (mean time of follow- up: 38 months). Pancreatectomy is indicated without delay as soon as t he diagnosis of this uncommon tumor is obtained.