Surgical outcomes for solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas.

(Background/Aims:Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is a rare exocrine tumor of the pancreas with low malignant potential. This study was designed to evaluate surgical outcome of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN).Methodology:From Between January 1994 to November 2013, 41 patients were diagnosed with SPN of the pancreas at Ajou University Medical Center and underwent surgical resection. Results: Of the 41 patients, 33(80.5%) were female and 8(19.5%) were male with a mean age of 34.5. years (range, 12-63 years). The most common location of SPN was the tail (43.9%). Mean diameters of SPN was 5.5 cm (range, 1.2-14.5 cm). Nineteen patients (46.3%) had non-specific abdominal symptoms that had been investigated. Surgical treatment included distal pancreatectomy in 21, pancreaticoduodenectomy in 11, segmental resection of pancreas in 4, enucleation in 2, excision in 2 and surgical biopsy in 1. Thirty-nine of the 41 patients were disease-free at a median follow-up of 59 months (range 1-125 months). Conclusions: Patients diagnosed as SPN should receive surgical resection because of the excellent prognosis. Closed follow-up is recommended after surgery, even in patients without pathological malignant potential. For metastasis or recurrence, an aggressive surgical treatment is necessary because of the good possibility of long-term survival.