Solid-Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas: Case Series and Literature Review

The solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas is a rare disease, although since 2000, it has been often identified. The current study aims to present a 10-case series of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas and a literature review on the topic. The cohort consisted of nine female patients and one male. The mean age in the group was 31.2 year-old. These patients underwent surgical treatment at the University Hospital between May 2007 and July 2014. Since there was a previous systematic literature review on solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas (prior to September 20 th , 2012), a complementary review was done after this period using PubMed’s data base. The search identified 225 studies on this subject, but only 13 were selected for detailed analysis, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. As a result, most of the information about the disease’s epidemiology, clinical manifestations, malignity risk factors, metastasis and relapse were gathered, however, early diagnosis remained a challenge. Radical surgical resection is established as the standard treatment protocol for the disease, it is also recommended to perform metastasectomy, vascular resections and/or resections of other compromised organs in order to ensure therapeutic success in 95% of the cases. However, a post-operative follow up of at least 5 years is required to identify the possibility of relapses. Further studies are still needed mainly to define this disease’s true prevalence among men, protocols for early diagnosis and the possible role of adjuvant therapies. Image: Intraoperative picture demonstrating a SPN in pancreatic head attached to the portal vein.