Article Text
Abstract
Background: Branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) of the pancreas are reported to be less aggressive than the main-duct type. Hence, less aggressive treatment has been proposed for the former.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a follow-up protocol for BD-IPMNs.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: An academic tertiary referral centre.
Patients: From 2000 to 2003, 109 patients with BD-IPMNs underwent trans-abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography with secretin. Patients who presented malignancy-related parameters (size >3.5 cm, nodules, thick walls, carbohydrate antigen 19.9 level >25 U/l, recent-onset or worsened diabetes) and/or complained of symptoms were submitted to surgery (arm A). All asymptomatic patients without suspicion of malignancy were followed up according to a 6-month clinical–radiological protocol (arm B).
Main outcome measures: The effectiveness of conservative management of BD-IPMNs.
Results: 20 (18.3%) patients underwent surgery (arm A); pathological diagnosis of BD-IPMNs was always confirmed. 89 (81.7%) patients were followed up for a median of 32 months (arm B); of these, 57 (64%) patients had multifocal disease. After a mean follow-up of 18.2 months, 5 (5.6%) patients showed an increase in lesion size and underwent surgery. The pathological diagnosis was branch-duct adenoma in three patients and borderline adenoma in two.
Conclusions: Surgery is indicated in <20% of cases of BD-IPMNs, and, in the absence of malignancy-related parameters, careful non-operative management seems to be safe and effective in asymptomatic patients. Although observation for a longer time is needed to confirm these results, our findings support the guidelines recently recommended by the International Association of Pancreatology.
- BD-IPMN, branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
- CA, carbohydrate antigen
- CEUS, contrast-enhanced abdominal ultrasonography
- ERCP, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
- EUS, endoscopic ultrasound
- IAP, International Association of Pancreatology
- MD-IPMN, main-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
- MRCP, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
- US, ultrasound
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- BD-IPMN, branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
- CA, carbohydrate antigen
- CEUS, contrast-enhanced abdominal ultrasonography
- ERCP, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
- EUS, endoscopic ultrasound
- IAP, International Association of Pancreatology
- MD-IPMN, main-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
- MRCP, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
- US, ultrasound
Footnotes
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Published Online First 23 November 2006
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Funding: This work was funded by the Fondazione Zanotto per il Pancreas (to PP), the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (to AS), the Ministero dell’ Università e della Ricerca Scientifica (to CB and AS), the European Community’s FP6 funding (Contract LSHB-CT-2006-018771) and the Fondazione Italiana per le Malattie del Pancreas.
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Competing interests: None.