Objectives: To find out whether the Kausch-Whipple operation is adequate for the cure of rare tumours of the pancreatic head.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: University hospital, Germany.
Patients: Of 640 patients who had Kausch-Whipple procedures between 1972 and 1998 we found 42 (6.6%) who were operated on for rare tumours of the pancreatic head.
Results: Among these 42 patients 12 had functioning and non-functioning endocrine tumours, 11 had adenomas that were not locally resectable, 6 had leiomyosarcomas or oncocytomas, 4 had cystadenocarcinomas, 3 had acinar cell carcinomas, 2 had primary lymphomas, and 3 had metastases to the pancreatic head. Operative treatment (such as extended resection), postoperative course, and survival time after operation varied. Patients with adenomas had the most favourable mean survival time of 106.5 months. Among patients with cancer, those with endocrine malignancies had the best outcome with a mean survival duration of 58.3 months.