Pancreatic Incidentaloma Research Articles

Significant hemorrhage following computed tomography- guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic incidentaloma: A case report and literature review

Pancreatic incidentalomas are asymptomatic pancreatic lesions detected by imaging procedures conducted for purposes unrelated to the original diagnostic inquiry. The prevalence of these lesions has increased with advancements in imaging technologies. Determining the malignant potential

S4146 Pancreatic Incidentaloma Leading to Small Cell Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Diagnosis

S4146 Pancreatic Incidentaloma Leading to Small Cell Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Diagnosis

Pancreatic Incidentaloma.

Pancreatic incidentalomas (PIs) represent a clinical entity increasingly recognized due to advances in and easier access to imaging techniques. By definition, PIs should be detected during abdominal imaging performed for indications other than a pancreatic disease. They range from small cysts to invasive cancer. The incidental diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can contribute to early diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, inadequate management of PIs may result in overtreatment and unneeded morbidity. Therefore, there is a strong need to evaluate the nature and clinical features of individual PIs. In this review, we summarize the major characteristics related to PIs and present suggestions for their management.

The prevalence of pancreatic incidentalomas in patients undergoing surveillance for abdominal aortic aneurysms

Serial imaging in patients with aortic aneurysms may identify non-vascular disease. However, the prevalence and clinical history of pancreatic incidentalomas in this population is unknown. Retrospective cross-sectional study of adults who underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) surveillance imaging for abdominal or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm at a single academic institution between 2015 and 2020. Descriptive statistics were used for patients with pancreatic lesions. Of 249 patients, 18 (7.2%) had a pancreatic incidentaloma. Compared to patients without a lesion, those with a lesion were more likely female (50.0% vs 24.2%, p=0.02) and less likely a smoker (72.2% vs 90.0%, p=0.02). 3 patients with pancreatic lesions underwent intervention, and 1 patient received additional imaging. 2 patients had a surgical oncology referral. Pancreatic incidentalomas are common in patients with aortic aneurysm, but lesion characteristics and management vary. Results suggest that a multi-disciplinary approach, thorough documentation, and referral to pancreatic specialists may be warranted.

Pancreatic Lipoma: A Pancreatic Incidentaloma Diagnosis with Computed Tomography

Pancreatic lipoma is a rare mesenchymal tumour that is being increasingly recognized.Pancreatic lipoma is commonly asymptomatic and incidentally detected.CT and MRI allow confirmation of the diagnosis and elimination of other differential diagnoses.

Pancreatic Incidentaloma: Case Report, Diagnosis and Management

Pancreatic Incidentaloma: Case Report, Diagnosis and Management

A left-sided cystic pancreatic incidentaloma with sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma: a case report

BackgroundThe synchronous colorectal malignancy is well described in the literature but combination of pancreatic incidentaloma with sigmoid cancer has not been well described and the association has not been described in syndrome.Case presentationA 65-year-old man from the Indian subcontinent with a history of abdominal pain with loss of appetite, and with a history of bleeding per rectum and altered bowel habits presented to our hospital. An abdominal examination revealed a palpable mass in the region of his epigastrium and left hypochondrium, and a rectal examination was normal. A work-up included blood investigations, an abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan, a colonoscopy, and a positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan. He was managed by simultaneous distal pancreaticosplenectomy and radical sigmoidectomy. The final histopathology results were suggestive of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon with serous cystadenoma of the pancreas.ConclusionsThe synchronous sigmoid colon cancer and pancreatic cystic incidentaloma is a rare presentation, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been reported in the literature. We report the surgical management of this case and present a review of the literature. Genetic studies may be conducted to find out whether there is common genetic mutation resulting in these two malignancies, and may be helpful in screening programs.

Pancreatic Incidentaloma: take it or leave it?

Pancreatic Incidentaloma: take it or leave it?

Decisive Role of Nuclear Imaging in a Rare Pancreatic Incidentaloma.

Pancreatic incidentalomas are increasingly recognized entities that occur as a fallout of widespread availability of high definition imaging technology. These lesions offer diagnostic dilemmas to both clinicians and radiologists alike. Nevertheless, it is the advancement in diagnostic radiology that comes to the rescue in the management of these not-so-uncommon lesions.

Pancreatectomy for pancreatic incidentaloma: What are the risks?

Pancreatic incidentalomas (PI) are nowadays common but the benefit-risk balance of surgery remains difficult to determine. Monocentric retrospective study of 881 pancreatectomies comparing resected PI with symptomatic lesion. Univariate and multivariate (MV) analyses were done to identify risk factors of malignancy in PI undergoing surgery. Overall, 32% of pancreatectomies were performed for PI. Median size of PI was 30mm (vs 28mm; p=0.15) and 49% were cystic (vs 42%; p=0.197). Resected PI were mostly located in distal pancreas (61% vs 34%; p<0.001), less frequently malignant (49% vs 59%; p=0.004). PNETs were more frequent in PI (50% vs 21%; p<0.001). Distal pancreatectomy (36% vs 23%; p<0.001) or parenchyma-sparing surgery (34% vs 13%; p<0.001) were more frequently performed for PI. Overall mortality (1.1% vs 1.2%) and morbidity (70% vs 68%) were not significantly different between both groups. Severe morbidity was lower for PI (15% vs 22%; p=0.007). In multivariate analysis, age>55 years (HR 6.14; p<0.001), size >20mm (HR:26.7; p<0.001) and biliary dilatation (HR 29.9; p=0.027) were independent risk factors of malignancy and, when associated, the likelihood of malignancy was above 90%. PI represent about 30% of indications for pancreatectomy and when resected after careful selection are malignant in 50% of cases.

Asymptomatic Lesions of the Pancreas: An Overview

The issue of pancreatic incidentaloma is relevant in clinical practice, and the correct management of these asymptomatic lesions found incidentally at imaging techniques requires prospective studies with adequate follow-ups. The current literature on this issue was reviewed and incidentalomas, both solid and cystic, are frequently diagnosed at an advanced age and the percentage of males ranged from 14.3 to 80.7%. The percentage of incidentalomas varies from 6% to 23% of the pancreatic resections performed for any cause. The prevalence of cystic incidentalomas diagnosed with imaging techniques varies from 1.2 to 2.6%. Further injury can be identified on the basis of biochemical or endoscopic examinations. Incidentalomas are found more frequently in examinations carried out for genito-urinary symptoms, chest pain or screening tests for cancer surveillance. Up to 50% of these lesions are solid and the vast majority are malignant or precancerous. Biopsy and analysis of the CEA and amylase in the cystic fluid obtained especially with an endoscopic ultrasonography is of particular importance. Given the imperfect diagnostic information available, it is necessary to evaluate the risk and benefit of a pancreatic resection when deemed appropriate because pancreatic resection involves high morbidity, and a surgical approach should be avoided for a benign condition. Solid incidentalomas generally seem to have a better prognosis than symptomatic lesions.

Asymptomatic insulinoma: A case report and autopsy series

We investigated the prevalence and characterization of asymptomatic pancreatic tumors in response to our experience of asymptomatic insulinoma. A patient with a moderately low glucose level and pancreatic incidentaloma detected by CT was examined. Pancreas specimens from 423 autopsy cases were also pathologically examined systematically by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The examined patient showed no profile characteristic of insulinoma by fasting or loading tests, however, ASVS led to diagnosis of insulin-producing tumor. The tumor was resected with the pancreatic body and tail and revealed to be 10 mm in diameter, with 98.5% of the cells positive for insulin. Pathological evaluation confirmed a well-differentiated endocrine pancreatic tumor, which was suggestive of an incidentally detected asymptomatic insulinoma. Microscopic evaluations of pancreatic specimens from 423 autopsy cases revealed pancreatic monotonous lesions in 6 cases (1.42%). In 4 autopsy specimens large enough for immuno-histochemical evaluation, the lesions were positive for glucagon but negative for insulin. As concerns the present study, retrospective immunohistochemical investigation in autopsy cases revealed the presence of asymptomatic glucagonoma but no asymptomatic insulinoma. Advances in diagnostic imaging, however, might raise the probability of detecting early asymptomatic stages of insulinoma incidentally. ASVS appears to be sensitive even for asymptomatic incidental insulinomas.

Giant pancreatic incidentaloma: Report of a case and literature review

Asymptomatic lesions of the pancreas, referred to as 'incidentalomas', have appeared with increased frequency in recent years. Giant incidentalomas have rarely been reported in the literature. We report herein a rare case of a giant cystic pancreatic incidentaloma measuring 12.7cm×8cm, which was found in an otherwise healthy male patient during a routine genitourinary imaging work-up. The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy; the pathology report demonstrated a giant serous cystadenoma of the body and tail of the pancreas. The management of pancreatic incidentalomas is challenging. While solid lesions almost always warrant surgery, there is ongoing debate concerning the management of cystic lesions that are found incidentally in the pancreas and have no clinical manifestations. We report herein an interesting case of a voluminous incidental cystic pancreatic lesion. The appropriate approach and the decision whether to operate or not in such cases can be puzzling to the physician.

Malignant Range Elevation of Serum Chromogranin A due to Inadvertent Use of Proton Pump Inhibitor in a Subject with Pancreatic Incidentaloma

We present a case of highly elevated tenfold rise of serum chromogranin A in a young, morbidly obese, hypertensive female being investigated for pancreatic mass, weight loss, and elevated ESR. Following extensive noninvasive investigations, an ultrasound-guided pancreatic biopsy confirmed benign haemorrhagic cyst. A clue to the etiology of the hyperchromogranin A was the elevated serum gastrin level leading to suspicion of proton pump inhibitor administration confirmed by admittance to its use. Withdrawal of the medication led to dramatic resolution of the neuroendocrine tumor marker.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and the pancreatic incidentaloma

Asymptomatic pancreatic lesions (APL) are a commonly encountered problem in today's pancreatic surgical practices. Current literature regarding etiologies and incidence of APLs, particularly intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), is presented. APLs constitute a wide spectrum of pathology (solid/cystic, benign/premalignant/malignant) but, overall, IPMN is now the most common diagnosis. The Sendai Guidelines and their function as a basis for risk stratification in branch duct IPMN are presented. The importance of traditionally analyzed cyst characteristics including size, presence of mucin or nodules and cyst fluid aspirate as indicators of malignancy is emphasized, noting also the potential correlation of main duct dilatation, thickened septae and elevated cyst fluid CEA with increased risk of malignancy. Current complication rates after resection of APLs are reviewed and found to be generally equivalent to those for symptomatic resections. A potential multidisciplinary treatment strategy is offered considering the costs of surgery versus repeated imaging or follow up endoscopy for these lesions. The decision for intervention is ultimately based on the Sendai Guidelines in the context of the individual patient.

Pancreatic Incidentalomas: High Rate of Potentially Malignant Tumors

Pancreatic incidentaloma (PI) is an increasingly common diagnosis that has received little attention. We characterized these tumors and compared them with symptomatic pancreatic tumors (nonincidentaloma [NI]). A retrospective database of 475 consecutive pancreatectomies that were performed from January 1995 to June 2007 at our institution was analyzed. Data for PI and NI patient cohorts were compared. Sixty-four PIs (13.5%) and 411 NIs (86.5%) were identified; 21% of pancreatic body and tail tumors versus 9% of tumors located in the pancreatic head were incidentally diagnosed (p = 0.001). Twenty-two PIs (34%) versus 278 NIs (67%) were malignant (p < 0.0001), 38 PIs (60%) were premalignant, and the remaining 4 (6%) had little or no risk for malignant progression. Intrapapillary mucinous cystic tumor was the most common diagnosis in the PI group (23.4%, n = 15). Of these, 13.3% (n = 2) were invasive versus 40.6% (n = 15) in the NI group (p = 0.02). Likewise, pathologic features for ductal adenocarcinomas were more favorable in PI versus NI tumors. Overall, PI patients had prolonged median disease-specific survival: 145 versus 46 months (p = 0.001). Median disease-specific survival for PI versus NI patients treated for adenocarcinoma were 22 versus 19 months, respectively (p = 0.4); 5-year disease-specific survival for PI versus NI patients treated for intrapapillary mucinous cystic tumor/mucinous cystadenoma were 94% versus 68%, respectively (p = 0.07). Operation for PI is common, and a substantial proportion of these lesions might be malignant or premalignant. Resection of these early tumors in asymptomatic individuals is associated with improved survival, as compared with patients with symptomatic disease.

Periampullary and Pancreatic Incidentaloma: A Single Institution's Experience With an Increasingly Common Diagnosis

Periampullary and Pancreatic Incidentaloma: A Single Institution's Experience With an Increasingly Common Diagnosis

Periampullary and Pancreatic Incidentaloma

While incidental masses in certain organs have received particular attention, periampullary and pancreatic incidentalomas (PIs) remain poorly characterized. We reviewed 1944 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies (PD) over an 8-year period (April 1997 to October 2005). A total of 118 patients (6% of all PDs) presented with an incidental finding of a periampullary or pancreatic mass. The PI patients were analyzed and compared with the rest of the cohort (NI, nonincidentaloma group, n = 1826). Thirty-one percent of the PI patients (n = 37) had malignant disease (versus 76% of the NI patients, P < 0.001), 47% (n = 55) had premalignant disease, and the remaining 22% (n = 26) had little or no risk for malignant progression. The 3 most common diagnoses in the PI group were IPMN without invasive cancer (30%), cystadenoma (17%), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (10%). The PI group had a higher overall complication rate (55% versus 43%, P = 0.02), due in part to a significantly increased rate of pancreatic fistulas (18.4% PI versus 8.5% NI, P < 0.001). Patients in the PI group with malignant disease had a superior long-term survival (median, 30 months, P = 0.01) compared with patients in the NI group with malignant disease (median, 21 months). Incidentally discovered periampullary and pancreatic masses comprise a substantial proportion of patients undergoing PD. Roughly three fourths of these lesions are malignant or premalignant, and amenable to curative resection. Resected malignant PIs have favorable pathologic features as compared with resected malignant NIs, and resection of these early lesions in asymptomatic individuals is associated with improved survival, compared with patients with symptomatic disease.

¿Cuáles son los principales errors que cometemos los cirujanos en el tratamiento del cáncer de páncreas?

The present review identifies two major conceptual errors. Therapeutic nihilism, which should be discounted in view of the results currently achieved by surgery, and noncentralization, since better results have been demonstrated, both in terms of morbidity and mortality and in survival, in high-volume centers than in low volume centers. The present review also identifies errors in management, the most important of which are: undervaluing the medical record, which is of great utility and continues to be the pillar on which the entire diagnostic process is based; the systematic use of preoperative biliary drainage, which used to be considered mandatory but should be used highly selectively in patients with severe jaundice or biliary tract infections, and viewing preoperative imaging tests as unreliable, when current radiological techniques, particularly helical computed tomography (CT), are highly reliable in establishing tumor resectability and consequently they should be used in all treatment planning. Moreover, because radiological tests are highly reliable, laparoscopic staging has lost diagnostic value; obtaining a preoperative histological diagnosis, which is not mandatory except when neoadjuvant therapy is planned or when tumors requiring nonsurgical treatment are suspected; undervaluing the use of surgical palliation, since this technique provides better long-term results than nonsurgical palliation, and consequently still plays a role in patients with good general health status and prolonged life expectancy; systematically performing gastrojejunostomy with bilio-enteric bypass, as this procedure should only be performed in tumors of the uncus or when there is imminent biliary or gastroduodenal obstruction; the use of supraradical surgical techniques such as regional, total or extensive pancreatectomy, since these techniques do not prolong survival after resection. Furthermore, the use of vascular resections would only be justified if resection with disease-free margins could be performed; undervaluing close postoperative monitoring within specialized units since this is the key to reducing morbidity and mortality rates in this type of surgery; and lastly when an intraoperative pancreatic incidentaloma is present, performing diagnostic maneuvers such as biopsy or pancreatic mobilization, since these procedures hamper subsequent radiological interpretation and possible surgical intervention.