Central Segmental Resection of Pancreas for Cystic Neoplasms in Head and Neck of Pancreas

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Pancreatic cystic neoplasm is a rare disease. It should be resected regardless of the presence of symptoms due to the possibility of malignancy. Standard pancreatic resection such as PPPD or distal pancreatectomy accompanies the loss of a significant amount of normal pancreatic parenchyma and may cause an impairment of normal pancreatic functions. On the contrary, pancreatic enucleation is known to have risks of pancreactic fistula or abscess. The aim of this study is to elucidate whether segmental resection of the pancreas is a safe and effective treatment in cystic neoplasms in the head and neck of the pancreas. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of seven patients treated with central segmental resection of the pancreas for cystadenoma at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital from December 2000 to April 2001. All lesions were located at the head and neck of the pancreas. A cephalic stump was sutured for closure of minute pancreatic ductal leakage and hemostasis, and the distal stump was anastomosed with a Roux-en-Y jejunal loop. Postoperative pancreatic functions, complications, and follow up results were analysed. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 48.14 (+/-9.55) years old. The pathological diagnoses were 4 cases of serous cystadenoma and 3 cases of mucinous cystadenoma. The mean size was 2.03 (+/-0.7) cm. The average operating time was 299.3 (+/-44.2) minutes. There were two cases of minor complications that were mild pancreatic fistulas without symptoms. There was no operative mortality, impairment of pancreatic function, or recurrence. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 23.6 days. CONCLUSION: Segmental resection of the pancreas can be a rational therapeutic option for cystic neoplasms in the head and neck of the pancreas in terms of the potential benefit of preserving pancreatic function.