MULTIFOCAL INTRADUCTAL PAPILLARY ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS - REPORT OF A CASE

This paper descibes a case of a mucin-producing tumor of the pancreas, histologically diagnosed as multifocal intraductal papillary adenocar cinoma. The patient had a markedly dilated main pancreatic duct, detec ted by ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT), and endoscopy sho wed a papillary tumor projecting from the patulous orifice of the enla rged papilla of Vater. Several biopsies taken from the tumor indicated a diagnosis of papillary adenocarcinoma. Total pancreatectomy was thu s performed, revealing a multifocal papillary tumor growing along the main duct in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. Microscopically , these multiple tumors were found to be mucin-producing papillary ade nocarcinoma of the main and subsidiary pancreatic ducts with nodular a nd microfocal periductal invasion. The surgical treatment of multifoca l tumors, may therefore necessitate total pancreatectomy to achieve cu rative resection, in some cases.