Pancreatic head mass: what can be done? Classification: the clinical point of view.

Surgeons frequently find pancreatic head mass when operating. The obvious difficulty is to make the correct preoperative differential diagnosis between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic tumor. The first step is to reach a diagnosis, with some certainty, prior to the operation. The second step in the case of a tumor is the accurate staging and deciding whether or not it is resectable. On the one hand, time and cost must be considered; on the other hand, the therapy must be decided. Obtaining information about the characteristics of the pancreatic disease (nature, size, exact location) and establishing the tissue diagnosis preoperatively may simplify the decision to operate and the operation itself. In the case of chronic pancreatitis, the aim of the operation is to eliminate pain and other symptoms, while in the case of cancer, the purpose is to remove the malignant tissue. In most patients, it is possible to identify the disease on the basis of previous examinations together with preoperative diagnostic techniques such as exploration, palpation and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Chronic pancreatic head mass should be operated upon with Beger s or Frey s procedure while pancreatic head tumors should be treated by means of head resection with the aim of preserving the pylorus or the Whipple procedure may be used. When the diagnosis is in doubt, a radical approach is thought to be best. Our conclusion is that there is no diagnostic method capable of making a definitive differential diagnosis as to the nature of the pancreatic head mass. Further study is required as to the extent to which differential diagnosis should be investigated.

Pancreatic head mass: how can we treat it? Tumor: surgical treatment.

Pancreatic carcinoma is a devastating disease. Untreated 5-year survival is 0%. The only possibility of being cured is given by surgical removal of the tumor. Pancreatoduodenectomy previously involved high morbidity and mortality rates until it was postulated that palliation gave better results. Today, morbidity and mortality rates have been decreased to an acceptable level, mortality rates in specialized centers being under 5%. Prognostic factors determining survival were found to be the size of the tumor, grade, lymph node involvement and stage. In order to be able to compare results of the different centers, standardization of the surgical technique is mandatory. It is unanimously accepted that in order to improve survival in pancreatic carcinoma, the radicality of the surgical procedure should be increased to include lymphadenectomy. Postoperative adjuvant therapy could also be a determinant factor. Prospective randomized clinical trials will give an answer to these still unanswered questions.

The laparoscopic treatment of non-parasitic liver cysts. Five years experience.

The incidence of cystic liver lesions seems to be more frequent as previously suggested. The treatment of symptomatic non-parasitic cysts is controversial. Ultrasonography (US) or computer tomography (CT) guided drainage and/or sclerotization versus surgical fenestration or partial resection, even liver resection has been advocated. Recently with the development of laparoscopic surgery this minimal invasive approach was also applied in the surgical treatment of single or multiple cystic lesions. Between 1994 and April 1999 21 patients with non-parasitic cysts were treated by laparoscopic fenestration or partial resection at the 1st Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University of Medicine. In 13 cases the symptomatic cyst presented the indication for surgery, while in the others cholelithiasis and GERD was the primary cause of intervention in 7 and 1 patient respectively. There were 16 woman and 5 men with a mean age of 42.3 years (17-78). The cyst was solitary in 17 cases and multiple 3-6-number in four patients. The size varied between 1.5-25 cm (average 7.2 cm). Patients were selected for the laparoscopic approach according to the US and/or CT appearance and superficial localization of the cyst. Wide unroofing or partial resection of the cyst wall till the margin of normal liver tissue was performed in all cases. The cystic cavity was drained. All operations were completed laparoscopically. Intraoperative complication did not occur. Bleeding from the resected margin could be well controlled by electrocautery or clipping. Patients left the ward after the drains were removed on postoperative day 2-4 depending upon the amount of serious discharge. No complication was observed postoperatively. During the average of 12.5 months (1 to 54 months) follow-up of 19 patients no recurrence was observed. Two patients required reoperation. In one 17 year old male patient cystadenocarcinoma was verified by histology, upon reoperation the lesion was found unresectable. In another case left hemi-hepatectomy was performed because of cyst recurrence caused by cholangiocell adenoma. In selected cases of superficially located symptomatic, non-parasitic cysts the laparoscopic fenestration might be the first choice of treatment. The method is safe and effective in the hands of surgeons experienced in both laparoscopic and liver surgery. Careful exploration of the cystic cavity and histological examination of the resected cyst wall is mandatory to avoid diagnostic mishaps.

Pancreatic pseudocysts associated with chronic pancreatitis--early and late results of 1367 operations.

The authors hereby review the data of 1367 operations for pancreatic pseudocysts. The surgical procedures of choice in particular pancreatic pathologies are analysed in the light of early morbidity and mortality, as well as long term follow-up results. The best operations for pancreatic pseudocysts have been the internal drainage procedures, which resolve the pathological alterations without the necessity of pancreatic resection. The treatment of chronic pancreatitis may require combined surgical procedure, such as cysto-Wirsungo-gastrostomy. The pancreatic resections performed for the treatment of small pseudocysts in the pancreatic head have been superseded by the less invasive blunt, forced cysto-duodenostomies, representing better results secondary to the smaller perioperative risk for the patient. The cyst-to-stomach and cyst-to-duodenum internal drainage techniques are just as effective, but with shorter operation time, than the Roux-en-Y cysto-jejunostomies.

Multimodality treatment of pancreatic pseudoaneurisms.

Vascular lesions of pancreatitis manifest in the form of haemorrhage into the pseudocyst (PC), the development of pseudoaneurisms (PA) or splenic lesions. Between 1987 and 1996 31 patients were found to develop vascular lesions either in the form of haemorrhage into a PC (12) or PA (19). Diagnosis of pancreatic PA was established preoperatively in 8 cases only. Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding manifested in 12 patients, but only in 6 of them was the pancreatic origin of the bleeding considered. All patients were operated. For the management of the lesions resection of the pancreas (11 cases) or ligation of the bleeding vessel with external or internal drainage of the PC was performed (12 cases). Simple external drainage of a haemorrhaged PC in 3, and cystoduodenostomy or cystogastrostomy was performed in 5 cases respectively. Intraoperatively moderate bleeding gave some concern (7 cases), while post operatively pancreatic fistula developed in 9 patients drained externally. All stopped spontaneously. In two cases severe GI bleeding occurred post operatively. In both cases embolization of the bleeding vessels was performed successfully. No operative mortality occurred. The mean follow-up time was 40.6 months (5-106). Five patients died of unrelated causes, 3 patients underwent subsequent pancreatic operation, and 74.2% of the patients are doing well. Development of pancreatic PA was associated with a longer observation or conservative treatment period. Angiography should be considered whenever severe upper GI bleeding occurs in patients with known pancreatic disease and the source of bleeding is obscure. In selected cases selective embolization of the bleeding site may provide definitive treatment.

Laparoscopic distal resection of the pancreas with the preservation of the spleen.

UNLABELLED: Management of the pancreatic diseases is still a challenge to the laparoscopic technique. Some experience has been gained in the laparoscopic exploration of the pancreas and staging in cancer. Anatomically the accessibility of the distal pancreas provides the laparoscopic approach technically feasible. PATIENT AND METHOD: A case of insuloma in the tail of the pancreas is presented, where distal pancreatic resection was performed laparoscopically with the preservation of the spleen. In a 55 years old female patient with typical clinical symptoms of hyperinsulinism CT identified a 3 cm large solid tumor in the tail of the pancreas. Complete mobilization of the distal pancreas was enhanced by the use of an ultrasonic dissector (UltraCision). The pancreas is detached from the splenic hilum after dividing the spleen vessels. The pancreas is transected proximally by laparoscopic linear stapler. Preservation of the short gastric vessels provides the necessary blood supply of the spleen following division of the splenic artery and vein. Thus removal of the spleen is not a necessary step in this procedure. The operation was carried out within 4.5 hours. Postoperative course was uneventful, the patient left the hospital on the 5th postoperative day. Advantages of the procedure were the earlier mobilization and shorter recovery time, less postoperative pain. The procedure can be safely performed with a good experience in both pancreatic and laparoscopic surgery.