Pancreatic true cysts - diagnosis and treatment difficulties

Pancreatic true cysts represent a rare, heterogeneous group of pancreatic tumors; therapeutic strategy is based on patient's general status, cyst topography, and especially the estimated risk of malignancy. This paper aim is to present 7 cases of pancreatic true cysts, operated on a six years period (January 2004-January 2010) in our surgical clinic: 2 men and 5 women, aged between 24-61 years old; cyst diameter varies between 3.5-15 cm, tumor location being pancreatic head in two cases and the distal pancreas in 5 cases. Surgical treatment consisted in cyst enucleation (two cases), splenopancreatectomy (three cases), duodenopancreatectomy (one case), and subtotal splenopancreatectomy (one case). Histology was represented by serous cystadenoma (one case), mucinous cystadenoma (2 cases), intraductal papillary mucinous cystadenoma (one case), and papillary cystadenocarcinoma (3 cases). Postoperative results were good in all cases, with 3 postoperative pancreatic external fistulas, resolved conservatory; no case of post-pancreatectomy diabetes mellitus was registered. In conclusion, surgical removal of the pancreatic cystic tumors is necessary, especially due to the risk of malignancy, at least in the absence of rigorous histological proofs of benignancy. Postoperative results are favorable in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality.