Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: report of a rare case and review of the literature

Abstract

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm, a rare primary neoplasm of the pancreas that typically affects young women, is a relatively indolent entity with favorable prognosis. We here report a 20-year-old young girl with solid pseudopapillary neoplasm who presented with mild dull abdominal discomfort without any significant laboratory findings. On MRI, a heterogenous mass was found at the distal pancreas. The patient underwent en-block distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy with the presumptive diagnosis of cystic neoplasm of the pancreas. The tumor was well-circumscribed, encapsulated, 5.5 cm in the greatest dimension and showed typical papillary and pseudopapillary structures. Capsular invasion was seen on focal areas. The patient was not given any adjuvant therapy and shows no sign of disease after six months follow-up. It is important to differentiate this tumor from other pancreatic neoplasms because this neoplasm is amenable to cure after complete surgical resection even in cases with capsular invasion, unlike malignant tumors of the pancreas.