Aim: Pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma (MCA) occurs almost exclusively in perimenopausal women and represents between 10% and 45% of cystic neoplasm of the pancreas, being considered a premalignant lesion.
Materials and methods: From 1983 to 2017, 31 patients underwent surgery for MCA of the pancreas in our Center. The median age was 47 years (range 17-81 years). All data were obtained retrospectively.
Results: The female∕male gender ratio was 14.5∕1. Most of the patients (90.3%) were symptomatic. The most common clinical manifestation was non-specific abdominal pain (58.06%), followed by fatigue and vomiting. The median cyst size was 7 cm, with a range between 2 cm and 15 cm. There were 35 procedures in 31 patients (in four patients the resection was preceded by a drainage procedure). From the 28 resections, most of them (89.28%) were performed by an open approach; a minimal invasive approach was used in three patients (robotic - two; laparoscopic - one). Most of the resections (82.14%) were distal pancreatectomies. In all cases, the final diagnosis was based on histological examination that revealed columnar epithelium and ovarian-type stroma. Postoperative complications occurred in 10 (34.48%) patients. Postoperative mortality was 3.44% (one patient) by septic shock secondary to acute postoperative pancreatitis.
Conclusions: MCAs represent a rare pancreatic pathology with challenging diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scan, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)∕magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) are useful in the differential diagnosis with other pancreatic fluid collections and treatment. Oncological surgical resections are recommended. Histopathological examination establishes the final diagnosis. The most common postoperative complication is pancreatic fistula.