Cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas

Abstract

The pathological findings in 14 cases of cystadenoma and three cases of cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas have been studied in relation to the clinical effects. All the patients were women, and their ages ranged from 13 to 90 years. Four tumours measuring 2 to 4 cm. in diameter had not caused symptoms or signs. Tumours from 7 to 12 cm. in diameter had been felt in the upper abdomen and half the patients with such tumours had complained of pain. In two cases with large tumours there was severe bleeding into the alimentary canal. The cystadenomas were of two types: 1 Tumours with small loculi lined by cubical epithelium, in which there was little secretion of mucus by the epithelium but abundant mucoid stroma. There were six of these tumours and we have no evidence of malignant change in this type. 2 Tumours with relatively large cystic spaces filled with mucus and lined by tall, mucus-secreting epithelium. There were eight of these, and the possibility of malignant transformation in this type of tumour is indicated by the finding that in three cases of cystadenocarcinoma two appeared to have been preceded by simple mucus-secreting cystadenomas. Signs of recent or old haemorrhage were common in both types of cystadenoma and also in the cystadenocarcinomas.