Narrative review of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of a true precancerous lesion

Abstract

Objective: Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas, there are still some problems to be solved. Background: IPMN is one of the most important precancerous lesions of pancreatic cancer, but the relationship between IPMN and pancreatic cancer, and the specific mechanism of the development from IPMN to invasive carcinoma, remain to be explored in depth. With the development of imaging, the detection rate of IPMN has been greatly improved. However, the degree of malignancy of IPMN is difficult to assess, and its classification criteria and surgical treatment strategies are still controversial. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the best treatment plan for IPMN and research that can better predict IPMN recurrence and tumor malignancy. Methods: From the online database Web of Science (https://webofknowledge.com/) and PubMed (https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), we use specific retrieval strategies to retrieve relevant articles based on the topics we discussed, and we review and discuss them. Conclusions: This paper discusses the related research and progress of IPMN in recent years to improve the understanding of the incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. The follow-up and monitoring of IPMN is particularly important, but the specific strategy also remains controversial.