Thymoma metastatic to liver and pancreas: case report and review of the literature

A 71-year-old man presented with a thymic mass involving the superior vena cava. A mediastinoscopical biopsy initially suggested a diagnosis of type A thymoma. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patient underwent en-bloc thymectomy and vascular resection for a pathology-confirmed type B3 thymoma involving the superior vena cava, the left brachiocephalic vein and the distal part of the right brachiocephalic vein. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered. Two years after the primary surgery, abdominal computed tomography (CT) and whole body fluorodeoxyglucose (18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans showed a single hepatic lesion that was treated with wedge liver resection. Pathological examination confirmed metastatic type B3 thymoma. Almost 4 years later, abdominal CT and 18-FDG PET revealed a 2.9-cm solid mass involving the body of the pancreas. Distal pancreatectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. Pathological examination showed a pancreatic metastasis from a type B3 thymoma, without lymph node involvement. The patient is alive and free of disease 6 months after the pancreatectomy (68 months after the initial thymectomy surgery). Intra-abdominal recurrence and pancreatic metastases are very uncommon manifestations of thymoma, but this event should be kept in mind when an abdominal mass is seen during follow-up

PET/CT incidental detection of second tumor in patients investigated for pancreatic neoplasms

Positron Emission Tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is an imaging technique which has a role in the detection and staging malignancies (both in first diagnosis and follow-up). The finding of an unexpected region of FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose) uptake can occur when performing whole-body FDG-PET, raising the possibility of a second primary tumor. The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience of second primary cancer incidentally discovered during PET/CT examination performed for pancreatic diseases, during the initial work-up or follow-up after surgical resection

Solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: A single center experience

open6noAim of this study was to review the institutional experience of solid-pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas with particular attention to the problems of preoperative diagnosis and treatment. From 1997 to 2013, SPT was diagnosed in 18 patients among 451 pancreatic cystic neoplasms (3.7%). All patients underwent preoperative abdominal ultrasound, computed assisted tomography, and tumor markers (CEA and CA 19-9) determinations. In some instances, magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography, and endoscopic ultrasound with aspiration cytology were performed. There were two males and 16 females. Serum CA 19-9 was slightly elevated in one case. Preoperative diagnosis was neuroendocrine tumor (n = 2), mucinous tumor (n = 2), and SPT (n = 14). Two patients underwent previous operation before referral to our department: one explorative laparotomy and one enucleation of SPT resulting in surgical margins involvement. All patients underwent pancreatic resection associated with portal vein resection (n = 1) or liver metastases (n = 1). One patient died of metastatic disease, 77 months after operation, and 17 are alive and free with a median survival time of 81.5 months (range 36-228 months). Most of SPT can be diagnosed by CT or MRI, and the role of other diagnostic tools is very limited. We lack sufficient information regarding clinicopathologic features predicting prognosis. Caution is needed when performing limited resection, and long and careful follow-up is required for all patients after surgery.openBeltrame, Valentina; Pozza, Gioia; Dalla Bona, Enrico; Fantin, Alberto; Valmasoni, Michele; Sperti, CosimoBeltrame, Valentina; Pozza, Gioia; DALLA BONA, Enrico; Fantin, Alberto; Valmasoni, Michele; Sperti, Cosim

Para-aortic node involvement is not an independent predictor of survival after resection for pancreatic cancer

AIM To analyze the importance of para-aortic node status in a series of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in a single Institution. METHODS Between January 2000 and December 2012, 151 patients underwent PD with para-aortic node dissection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in our Institution. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with negative PALNs (PALNs-), and patients with metastatic PALNs (PALNs+). Pathologic factors, including stage, nodal status, number of positive nodes and lymph node ratio, invasion of para-aortic nodes, tumor\u2019s grading, and radicality of resection were studied by univariate and multivariate analysis. Survival curves were constructed with Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test: significance was considered as P < 0.05. RESULTS A total of 107 patients (74%) had nodal metastases. Median number of pathologically assessed lymph nodes was 26 (range 14-63). Twenty-five patients (16.5%) had para-aortic lymph node involvement. Thirty-three patients (23%) underwent R1 pancreatic resection. One-hundred forty-one patients recurred and died for tumor recurrence, one is alive with recurrence, and 9 are alive and free of disease. Overall survival was significantly influenced by grading (P = 0.0001), radicality of resection (P = 0.001), stage (P = 0.03), lymph node status (P = 0.04), para-aortic nodes metastases (P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that grading was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.0001), while grading (P = 0.0001) and radicality of resection (P = 0.01) were prognostic parameters for disease-free survival. Number of metastatic nodes, node ratio, and para-aortic nodes involvement were not independent predictors of disease-free and overall survival. CONCLUSION In this experience, lymph node status and para-aortic node metastases were associated with poor survival at univariate analysis, but they were not independent prognostic factors

Collision of ductal adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas: a case report and review of the literature

Background: Simultaneous occurrence of exocrine and neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas is very infrequent. We report a patient with an endocrine tumor in the pancreatic-duodenal area and extensive exocrine carcinoma involving the whole pancreas. Case presentation: A 69-year-old woman was hospitalized in May 2016 for epigastric pain and weight loss. Her past medical history revealed an undefined main pancreatic duct dilation that was subsequently confirmed at CT scan (23 mm) and endoscopic ultrasound. There was no evidence of pancreatic masses, but the cephalic portion of the main pancreatic duct presented hypoechoic nodules. A diagnosis of the main-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm was made, and the patient underwent total pancreatectomy. Pathological examination showed a collision tumor constituted by a ductal adenocarcinoma involving the whole pancreas and a neuroendocrine tumor located in the duodenal peripancreatic wall and the head of the pancreas. There was one peripancreatic lymph node metastasis from the ductal adenocarcinoma and eight node metastases from the neuroendocrine tumor. These findings suggested a diagnosis of collision of neuroendocrine and ductal adenocarcinomas of the pancreas. The postoperative course was uneventful. Conclusions: The coexistence of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine tumors is very uncommon. When present, problems in differential diagnosis may arise between mixed exocrine-endocrine carcinoma or the collision of separate tumors

Surgery for Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer: Is It Effective?

Despite improvements to surgical procedures and novel combinations of drugs for adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the recurrence rate after radical surgery is still high. Little is known about the role of surgery in the treatment of isolated recurrences of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to review the current literature dealing with surgery for recurrent pancreatic cancer in order to examine its feasibility and effectiveness. An extensive literature review was conducted according to the 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and 14 articles dealing with re-resections for recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma were analyzed, focusing on the characteristics of the primary neoplasm and its recurrence, the surgical procedures used, and patient outcomes. Data were retrieved on a total of 301 patients. The interval between surgery for primary pancreatic cancer and the detection of a recurrence ranged from 2 to 120 months. The recurrence was local or regional in 230 patients, and distant in 71. The median overall survival was 68.9 months (range 3-152) after resection of the primary tumor, and 26.0 months (range 0-112) after surgery for recurrent disease. The disease-free interval after the resection of recurrences was 14.2 months (range 4-29). Although data analysis was performed on a heterogeneous and limited number of patients, some of these may benefit from surgery for isolated recurrence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Further studies are needed to identify these cases

Safety and Efficacy of Surgery for Metastatic Tumor to the Pancreas: A Single-Center Experience

Pancreatic metastases from other neoplasms are rare. The role of surgery for this clinical entity is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of resection in patients with pancreatic secondary lesions. We observed 44 patients with pancreatic metastases from other tumors. Renal cell carcinoma was the most common primary tumor (n = 19, 43.2%). Thirty-seven patients underwent surgery, and pancreatic resection with curative intent was feasible in 35 cases. Fifteen patients (43.2%) experienced major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo > 2), and postoperative mortality rate was 5.4%. The median overall survival and disease-free survival were 38 (range 0–186) and 11 (range 0–186) months, respectively. Overall survival and disease-free survival were significantly longer for pancreatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma when compared to other primary tumors. Multivariate analysis confirmed a pathological diagnosis of metastasis from RCC as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OR 2.48; 95% CI, 1.00–6.14; p = 0.05). In conclusion, radical resection of metastases to the pancreas is feasible and safe, and may confer a survival benefit for selected patients. There is a clear benefit of metastasectomy in terms of patient survival for metastases from renal cell carcinoma, while for those with other primary tumors, surgery seems to be mainly palliative

Solid-Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas: A Single Center Experience

Aim of this study was to review the institutional experience of solid-pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas with particular attention to the problems of preoperative diagnosis and treatment. From 1997 to 2013, SPT was diagnosed in 18 patients among 451 pancreatic cystic neoplasms (3.7%). All patients underwent preoperative abdominal ultrasound, computed assisted tomography, and tumor markers determinations. In some instances, magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography, and endoscopic ultrasound with aspiration cytology were performed. There were two males and 16 females. Serum CA 19-9 was slightly elevated in one case. Preoperative diagnosis was neuroendocrine tumor ( = 2), mucinous tumor ( = 2), and SPT ( = 14). Two patients underwent previous operation before referral to our department: one explorative laparotomy and one enucleation of SPT resulting in surgical margins involvement. All patients underwent pancreatic resection associated with portal vein resection ( = 1) or liver metastases ( = 1). One patient died of metastatic disease, 77 months after operation, and 17 are alive and free with a median survival time of 81.5 months (range 36-228 months). Most of SPT can be diagnosed by CT or MRI, and the role of other diagnostic tools is very limited. We lack sufficient information regarding clinicopathologic features predicting prognosis. Caution is needed when performing limited resection, and long and careful follow-up is required for all patients after surgery

The Role of Positron Emission Tomography in Clinical Management of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors, increasingly diagnosed in clinical practice. An early differential diagnosis between malignant and benign lesions is crucial to patient management and the choice of surgery or observation. The therapeutic approach is currently based on a patient's clinical, biochemical, and morphological characteristics. The latest published International Consensus Guidelines (ICG) make no mention of the role of metabolic assessments of IPMNs. The aim of this study was to review the current literature, examining the role of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in IPMN management. An extensive literature review was conducted according to the 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and 10 articles were analyzed in detail, focusing on the value of PET as opposed to other standard imaging criteria. Data were retrieved on 419 patients. The 18-FDG-PET proved more sensitive, specific, and accurate than the ICG criteria in detecting malignant IPMNs (reaching 80%, 95%, and 87% vs. 67%, 58%, and 63%, respectively). Metabolic assessments may be used as an additional tool for the appropriate management of patients with doubtful imaging findings

Surgical oncological emergencies in octogenarian patients

BackgroundSurgical oncological emergencies represent a frequent challenge in acute settings, with postoperative courses characterized by high morbidity and mortality. An accurate selection of patients who could benefit from surgery is essential to avoid unnecessary invasive treatment. In this study, we tried to determine if advanced age (&gt;80 years) represents a risk factor for negative short-term outcome in patients undergoing emergency surgery for acute abdominal oncological illness.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the records of patients who underwent emergency oncological surgery at the Department of Acute Care Surgery of Padua General Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. One hundred two cancer patients were included in the study. Among them, 42 were aged ≥80 years (41%). Multiple preoperative and postoperative parameters were recorded, and the follow-up period was at least 90 days. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with short-term postoperative outcomes.ResultsIn the octogenarian group, 30-day mortality was 11% vs. 9.5% in the younger group [p = not significant (ns)] and 90-day mortality was 17.6% in the octogenarian group vs. 20.5% in the younger group (p = ns). Postoperative morbidity and hospital length of stay were not significantly different in the two groups. Low albumin levels [odds ratio (OR) 30.6, 9.51–87.07] and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (OR 26.4, 9.18–75.83) were predictive for short-term mortality in surgical oncological emergencies.ConclusionAdvanced age is not a risk factor for negative outcomes in surgical oncological emergencies. Therefore, surgical options should be considered in octogenarians with oncological emergencies and acceptable clinical conditions. Serum albumin levels and LDH can help predict the postoperative outcome after surgery for oncological emergencies