Pancreatic intraductal neoplasms-intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm

Abstract

Based on current classification systems, intraductal neoplasms of the pancreas are classified into two categories, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) and intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasms (ITPN). IPMNs are mucin-hypersecreting neoplasms with various degrees of dysplasia from low grade to high grade. IPMNs are further subdivided into four subtypes: gastric type, intestinal type, pancreatobiliary type and oncocytic type, based on their morphological and immunohistochemical features. ITPNs are non-mucinous tumors with uniform high-grade neoplastic cells which lack a low-grade component. To differentiate these two neoplasms, it is important to correctly recognize their characteristics including macroscopic, microscopic, immunohistochemical and molecular findings.