Rare indications for a Kausch-Whipple procedure

Objectives: To find out whether the Kausch-Whipple operation is adequate fo r the cure of rare tumours of the pancreatic head. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University hospital, Germany. Patients: Of 640 patients who had Kausch-Whipple procedures between 1972 an d 1998 we found 42 (6.6%) who were operated on for rare tumours of the panc reatic head. Results: Among these 42 patients 12 had functioning and non-functioning end ocrine tumours, 11 had adenomas that were not locally resectable, 6 had lei omyosarcomas or oncocytomas, 4 had cystadenocarcinomas, 3 had acinar cell c arcinomas, 2 had primary lymphomas, and 3 had metastases to the pancreatic head. Operative treatment (such as extended resection), postoperative cours e, and survival time after operation varied. Patients with adenomas had the most favourable mean survival time of 106.5 months. Among patients with ca ncer, those with endocrine malignancies had the best outcome with a mean su rvival duration of 58.3 months.