Solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas in a young woman: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas is a rare neoplasm which occurs pre-dominantely in young females. This tumor generally is asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic and some imaging tests are useful for its diagnosis. We report a 17 years-old woman with dyspeptic symptoms submitted to an abdominal ultrasound (US), that revealed a hypoechogenic mass between the liver, right kidney and pancreas. Computer tomography (CT) scan showed a hypodense and heterogeneous mass on pancreas head. The patient underwent elective resection of the mass and the histopathology was consistent with a solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas. Immunohistochemical positivity for NSE (neuron-specific enolase), progesterone receptor, alfa-1-antitrypsin, vimentin, AE1/AE3, and negativity for synaptophysin and chromogranin A confirmed the diagnosis. After four years of clinical follow-up, the patient remains in a good general condition without signs of tumor recurrence.