Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas: Case series with a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The solid pseudopapillary neoplasms are quite rare tumors of the pancreas, comprising roughly 1-2% of all pancreatic neoplasms. It has a low malignant potential and usually affects young females. Despite increasing number of articles in the last decade, there is still debate on the pathogenesis, malignant potential and optimal surgical strategy for the solid pseudopapillary neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical recordings of 326 patients who were operated due to pancreatic mass were retrospectively analyzed. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms, surgical and pathologic characteristics of the tumor, postsurgical course, long-term survival, and other relevant data were extracted from patients' charts. RESULTS: Majority of the patients were female in consistency with the classic data in the literature. All the patients underwent curative intent resections. Tumors were commonly localized in the tail of the pancreas making distal pancreatectomy the most commonly performed surgical procedure. Mean tumor diameter was 5.8 centimeters with tumor sizes ranging from 1 to 19 cm. CONCLUSION: The solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas is a rare tumor with low malignant potential, which is more common in females of reproductive age, with abdominal pain being their most common presentation. The short-term outcomes in patients following surgical R0 resection are excellent. However, proximal placement of the tumor and female gender may have slightly worse prognosis. We hope that our findings from a series of patients represent a contribution to the existing literature on SPN, and authors declare their willingness to provide further details for future meta-analyses.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm as a cause of gastrointestinal system bleeding: a case report with a brief review of the literature.

A hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm is, by definition, a pulsatile hematoma due to a leakage of blood through a tear or disruption of the arterial wall, and the blood is contained only by the hepatic parenchyma or surrounding hematoma. It can be a very rare cause of gastrointestinal system bleeding. These pseudoaneurysms are usually very well managed by angiographic intervention. However, in some cases, surgery is inevitable. Herein, we present a 63-year-old female presenting with gastrointestinal system bleeding 45 days after surgery for cholangiocarcinoma. She was found to be bleeding from a pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery and underwent surgical intervention.

Abdominal cocoon syndrome as a rare cause of mechanical bowel obstruction: report of two cases.

An abdominal cocoon is an extremely rare condition, and has been reported mainly in young adolescent women as a cause of small bowel obstruction. In these patients, the small bowel is encased in a fibrous sac called an abdominal cocoon. We hereby present two cases who were diagnosed only by laparotomy and their correlation with the literature. They both received early intervention, thus preventing the need for bowel resection. The pathology of both membranes showed inflammation.