Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Pancreas

ABSTRACT

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare tumor; its clinical features and radiologic findings are not well known, so the definite preoperative diagnosis of this tumor is quite difficult. We report a case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas. A 47-year-old woman was admitted on April 2005 to our hospital with a complaint of left upper quadrant pain. The serum CA 19-9 and CEA level were increased up to 4019.08 U/ml and 13.13 ng/ml, respectively. An abdominal computed tomographic (CT) revealed a 10x9 cm sized well-defined homogenous lobulated mass in the pancreas tail. Under the impression of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) or nonfunctioning islet cell tumor, distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy with wedge resection of stomach were performed. The specimen consisted of a huge pancreatic mass that was attached to the posterior wall of stomach. The cut surface of pancreatic mass revealed a huge whitish infiltrative mass. Microscopically, glandular elements of ductal adenocarcinoma were admixed with solid squamoid complexes or squamous cell carcinoma components. Although the origin of the adenosquamous carcinoma has not been well proven, the histopathological findings of our case support the theory of squamous metaplasia.