Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: does the presence of signet ring cells always suggest a poorer outcome?

Introduction: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the ampulla of Vater is a rare histology with very limited data. In the present study, we report the outcomes of this rare pathology after pancreaticoduodenectomy from a single high-volume center.

Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study from a prospectively maintained database. All patients who presented to our tertiary cancer hospital with ampullary lesions and underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between January 2017 and January 2024 were included.

Results: A total of 494 pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed during the study period for ampullary adenocarcinoma. Signet ring cells were present in 35 (7.1%). After propensity matching, the median OS in the signet ring group was not reached versus 55.7 months in the non-signet ring group (p-value-0.853) whereas the median DFS was 33.5 months in the non-signet ring group versus 18.2 months in the signet ring group (p-value-0.729).

Conclusion: The presence of signet ring cells on histology after curative pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma was not associated with poor outcomes. The percentage of signet ring cells also didn't have any effect on survival.