Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas in China

Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare neoplasm with a low malignant potential, usually affecting young women in the second or third decade of life. With widespread availability of high-quality imaging systems and a better understanding of its pathology, the number of cases reported in the literature has been steadily increased in recent years.

A research article to be published on March 14, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team led by Dr. Yu from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital collected relatively comprehensive data which were from the published Chinese literature. It was found that SPTs was a rare indolent neoplasm that typically occurs in young females. The symptoms were non-specific, and nearly one third of all patients were asymptomatic, with the tumors found during routine physical examinations.

Radiological investigations such as computed tomography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, fine needle aspiration cytology, endoscopic ultrasound scan were performed for the evaluation of SPTs,however, the misdiagnoses rate was still high in some centers. SPTs can be potentially curable by extended resections of the primary tumor mass.The prognosis is favourable even in the presence of recurrence or unresectable metastasis.In addition, the authors analized the potential relationship bewteen HBV infection and the pathogenesis of SPTs. The positive staining of Ki-67 may correlate with the malignant potential and poor outcome was also decribed.

This is a retrospective study that summarizes a considerable number of patients with solid pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas in the Chinese literature. The results are interesting and provide some detail meaningful to clinicians for the management of SPTs.