Clinicopathology of pancreaticobiliary maljunction: relationship between alterations in background biliary epithelium and neoplastic development.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Between 1988 and 2003, 38 patients underwent biliary resection for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). We reviewed the histopathologic findings for the surgically resected specimens to compare the clinical and pathologic features and assess the relationship between changes in the background biliary epithelium and the development of neoplasms. METHODS: Papillary hyperplasia (PHP) seen in the biliary epithelium of patients with PBM, was classified into grades 0--III in the gallbladder and grades 0--II in the extrahepatic bile duct, according to the extent, and was assessed for links with tumors in the same specimens. RESULTS: The incidence of gallbladder carcinoma was 13/21 in grades I--II, versus 0/16 in grade III, while the incidence of bile duct carcinoma was 4/20 in grade I versus 0/5 in grade II. Furthermore, these incidences for patients below age 50 years and age 50 or older were 1/18 versus 12/20, and 0/14 versus 6/17, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PHP of the biliary epithelium in PBM patients is an important precursor lesion, especially for gallbladder cancer, and the risk becomes greater with age, regardless of the type of pancreatobiliary junction (PBJ) and its location in the biliary tract.

Surgical treatment of intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor (IPMT) of the pancreas: operative indications based on surgico-pathologic study focusing on invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Between 1979 and 2000, 51 patients with intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor (IPMT) of the pancreas underwent surgical resection. METHODS: The patients were reviewed to disclose the surgical pathology of invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT and to determine the surgical indications for IPMT on the basis of the pathologic findings. RESULTS: The incidence of invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT according to the localization of the tumor was as follows: 4/9 (44%) in the main pancreatic duct (MPD type), 4/9 (44%) showing ductal spread from the MPD to branch ducts (mixed type), and 2/33 (6%) in the 2 branch duct (branch type). The maximal size of the intraductal spread of invasive carcinomas (8 of 18 cases in the MPD and mixed type together and 2 of 33 cases in the branch type) was as follows: 6/8 (75%) in the MPD and mixed type were over 6 cm in size, and the 2-branch-type invasive carcinomas were within the 3-cm size range. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that for both invasive and noninvasive IPMTs, surgical resection was necessary for any MPD or mixed-type IPMTs, and that surgical resection was appropriate for branch-type lesions larger than or equal to 3 cm in diameter, or for lesions smaller than 3 cm showing rapid growth on clinical images.