INVESTIGATION ABOUT PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSTIC IMAGINGS OF PANCREATIC ISLET CELL TUMORS

Abstract

Seven cases of pancreatic islet cell tumor (3 of insulinoma, 2 of gastrinoma and 2 of non-functioning tumor) during a past-18 year period are reported. Furthermore, reports of non-functioning islet cell tumors seen in the literature were reviewed to clarify characteristic factors for malignant and cyst forming cases, especially in preoperative diagnostic imagings. In summary, to predict malignant progress, findings as vascular involvement (encasement, occlusion, AV shunt) in angiography and occlusion of pancreatic duct and common bile duct in ERCP were well reliable. Thirty percent of non-functioning tumors had cystic formation, almost of which were misdiagnosed as some cystic diseases, preoperatively. But making efforts to find tumor stain or intrusion in cyst by any diagnostic imagings will make possible to differentiate cystic neoplasms from benign pancreatic cysts as pseudocyst, and consequently operative management will be indicated. It may be still difficult to differentiated from other neoplastic cysts.