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Pediatric Surgery pp 1–10Cite as

Pancreatic Tumors

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Abstract

Pancreatic tumors are rare occurrences in childhood. Tumors may arise from exocrine or endocrine tissue and present differently depending on histologic type. Exocrine tumors are most common and include pancreatoblastomas and solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPT). Pancreatoblastomas occur most frequently in boys within the first decade of life, whereas SPTs are found in girls in their teenage years. With either type, children and adolescents tend to present with vague abdominal symptoms or masses felt on routine abdominal exam. If ductal obstruction is present, patients may present with abdominal pain or jaundice. Endocrine tumors consist of insulinomas, gastrinomas, and tumors secreting vasoactive intestinal peptide. Patients with these functional lesions develop hormonal syndromes corresponding to the islet cell type undergoing proliferation. In rare case reports, sarcomas have also been described to arise in pancreatic tissue. Cystic neoplasms are also extremely rare, but mucinous cystadenomas require special attention due to their potential for malignant transformation. A combination of imaging modalities (e.g., ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) has been used for effective localization. In most cases, surgical resection is the only curative therapeutic option. Recent improvements in imaging quality and endoscopic biopsy have allowed for improved selection of excision procedures. The role of chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy are controversial. Previous experience citing their use, particularly in cases of recurrence or unresectable tumors, remains largely anecdotal. Overall, pediatric pancreatic malignancies have an improved prognosis compared to their adult counterparts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Surgery, DeWitt-Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Jun Tashiro, Casey J. Allen & Juan E. Sola

Authors
  1. Jun Tashiro
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  2. Casey J. Allen
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  3. Juan E. Sola
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Tashiro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Our Lady’s Children's Hospital, National Children’s Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland

    Prem Puri

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Tashiro, J., Allen, C.J., Sola, J.E. (2020). Pancreatic Tumors. In: Puri, P. (eds) Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38482-0_159-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38482-0_159-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-38482-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-38482-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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