Pancreatic Cystadenoma Surgery

Pancreatic cystadenoma is a relatively rare tumor. The disease develops slowly and the tumor grows slowly, but if not treated in time, it may develop into pancreatic cancer. Patients with pancreatic cystadenoma often experience abdominal pain, and some patients may also experience a mass in the abdomen. If you have a pancreatic cystadenoma, you must suppress it through surgery. So, how is pancreatic cystadenoma surgery performed?

1. Surgical treatment of pancreatic cystadenoma

Surgery is the only treatment for pancreatic cystic tumors. Cystadenomas often have intact capsules and are more common in the body and tail of the pancreas. Small cystadenomas can be removed; most patients require a pancreatic body and tail resection including the spleen. Cystic tumors of the pancreatic head can be treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy.

What is pancreatic cystadenoma?

Pancreatic cystadenoma is a rare exocrine pancreatic tumor. It accounts for approximately 0.6% of pancreatic tumors. Pancreatic cystadenoma grows slowly, generally has a long history, and can turn into pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma. Clinical manifestations: Upper abdominal distension or dull pain, and upper abdominal mass are the main characteristics of pancreatic cystic tumors, followed by weight loss, jaundice, gastrointestinal bleeding and gastrointestinal symptoms.

3. Causes

The etiology is still unclear, but it may be: ① invasion by ectopic digestive tract primordial cells or distorted Brunner glands in the duodenum; ② originating from acinar cells in the glandular duct; ③ originating from the pancreatic duct epithelium; ④ residual fetal tissue. Cystadenocarcinoma may be caused by the malignant transformation of mucinous cystadenoma.

IV. Clinical manifestations

1. Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain is an early symptom and may be dull pain, bloating, or stuffy discomfort. As the tumor grows larger, it may compress the stomach, duodenum, transverse colon, etc., causing them to shift and causing symptoms of incomplete gastrointestinal obstruction. In addition to abdominal pain, it may also be accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and weight loss.

2. Abdominal mass

An abdominal mass is the main sign. The lumps are mostly located in the middle of the upper abdomen or the left upper abdomen. Small ones can only be touched, while large ones can occupy the entire abdominal cavity. They are round or oval in shape and tough in texture. Huge lumps feel cystic to the touch but are not tender. A small number of cystic tumors located in the head of the pancreas can cause jaundice due to compression of the common bile duct by the cyst. When the tumor compresses the splenic vein or invades the splenic vein, it may cause thrombosis, resulting in enlargement of the spleen and varicose veins of the gastric fundus and lower esophagus, and even vomiting of blood.