Preoperative evaluation of pancreaticobiliary tumor using MR multi-imaging techniques.
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AIM: To evaluate the clinical value of MR multi-imaging techniques in diagnosing and preoperative assessment of pancreaticobiliary tumor. METHODS: MR multi-imaging techniques, including MR cross-sectional imaging, MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and 3D dynamic contrast-enhanced MR angiography (3D DCE MRA), were performed to make prospective diagnosis and preoperative evaluation in 28 patients with suspected pancreaticobiliary tumors. There were 17 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 8 cases of biliary system carcinoma and 3 cases of non-neoplastic lesions. RESULTS: Using MR multi-imaging techniques, the accuracy in diagnosing the patients with pancreaticobiliary tumors was 89.3% (25/28). The accuracy in detecting the range of tumor invasion was 80.3% (57/71). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive value of MR multi-imaging techniques in preoperative assessment of the resectability of pancreaticobiliary tumor were 83.3%, 89.5%, 88.0%, 71.4%, and 94.4%, respectively. There was well diagnostic consistency between MR multi-imaging techniques and CT (kappa = 0.64, P<0.01). The fusion image could be made from MRCP and 3D DCE MRA images. CONCLUSION: MR multi-imaging techniques can integrate the advantages of various MR images. The non-invasive "all-in-one" MR imaging protocol is the efficient method in diagnosing, staging and preoperative assessment of pancreaticobiliary tumor. (+info)
Clinicopathologic analysis of early ampullary cancers with a focus on the feasibility of ampullectomy.
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ampullectomy can substitute for pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in early ampullary cancer by clinicopathologic study. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although ampullectomy has been attempted in early ampullary cancer (pTis, pT1), the indication and extent of resection have not been established. METHODS: Of 201 patients who had undergone PD for ampullary cancer between 1986 and 2002, 67 patients with a histologic diagnosis of pTis (n = 5) or pT1 (n = 62) cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Pathologic PD specimens were reviewed to analyze the cancer spread pattern, and medical records were reviewed for clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate of the 66 patients with early ampullary cancer (excluding one mortality) was 83.7%. Recurrence was confirmed in 12 patients (18.2%) and all died because of the recurrence. Pathologic review showed that 22 patients (32.8%) had at least one risk factor for failure after ampullectomy: lymph node metastasis (n = 6, 9.0%), perineural invasion (n = 1), or mucosal tumor infiltration along the CBD or P-duct (n = 15, 22.4%). Mean lengths of invasion into the CBD or the P-duct beyond the sphincter of Oddi were 7.7 mm (range, 1-25 mm) or 6.3 mm (range, 2-18 mm), respectively. Moreover, these risk factors were not correlated with tumor size, histologic grade, or the gross morphology of the primary tumor, although pTis cancer or pT1 cancer sized 1.0 cm or less was found to be least associated with risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Ampullectomy for early ampullary cancer should not be considered an alternative operation to PD because of the high possibility of recurrence. PD should be preferably performed for adequate radical resection, even in early ampullary cancer, and ampullectomy should be reserved for those who have pTis or pT1 cancer sized 1.0 cm or less with high operative risk. (+info)
Cytologic features and diagnostic pitfalls of primary ampullary tumors by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
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BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-guided FNAB) is highly sensitive and specific in cytologic diagnosis and clinical staging of malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver, and lymph nodes. However, no study has been performed to evaluate its accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and the cytomorphologic features of suspected primary ampullary tumors. METHODS: All EUS-guided FNABs of suspected primary ampullary lesions at the University of California Irvine Medical Center (Orange, CA) from January 1998 to September 2004 were retrospectively retrieved. The number of passes necessary to arrive at a preliminary diagnosis during adequacy assessment was documented. The cytologic features were analyzed with endosonographic correlation. Follow-up information was also collected. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were found, 17 men and 18 women. The mean age of the patients was 68.9 years (range, 34-87 yrs). Adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 13 patients. Atypical cells were found in six patients, four of which were suspicious for adenocarcinoma and two of which were consistent with reactive atypia. Adenoma was diagnosed in two patients and carcinoid tumor in one. Thirteen patients had a diagnosis that was negative for malignant cells. The average number of aspiration passes was 2.4 (range, 1-6 passes). Follow-up information was available in 27 patients. There were three false-negative results and no false-positive results. The sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and the negative predictive values were 82.4%, 100%, 100%, and 76.9%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 88.8%. The consistent cytologic features in specimens that were positive or suspicious for adenocarcinoma included high cellularity, single cells, 3-dimensional cell balls, high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, prominent nucleoli, coarse/uneven distribution of chromatin, and necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided FNAB was accurate, sensitive, and specific in the assessment of suspected primary ampullary masses. Adenoma presented a diagnostic challenge and endosonographic correlation was instrumental to increase the diagnostic accuracy. (+info)
Invasive micropapillary carcinomas of the ampullo-pancreatobiliary region and their association with tumor-infiltrating neutrophils.
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Invasive micropapillary carcinoma, originally described as a distinctive type of invasive carcinoma in the breast, is being increasingly recognized as a separate entity in many other organs; however, it has not yet been documented in the pancreas or periampullary region. In this study, 313 pancreatic and 73 periampullary carcinomas were reviewed to investigate the micropapillary pattern in this location. Eight periampullary and eight pancreatic cases (4%) were composed at least focally (>20%) of invasive micropapillary carcinoma. The patients were 10 males and six females, mean age 69 years. The mean tumor size was 3.2 cm. Lymph node metastasis was detected in 11/15 cases. The median survival was 8 months (all were resected). Invasive micropapillary carcinoma was characterized by small, closely packed micropapillary clusters (without fibrovascular cores) lying within clefts. The cells had moderate degree of nuclear atypia. In nine cases, there was abundant inflammation composed of neutrophils concentrating around the tumor cells, both intraepithelial ('cannibalism') and stromal. Molecules implicated in abnormalities of tumor cell-stroma adhesion, galectin-3 and E-cadherin were expressed in the cytoplasm of 11/11 and 9/11 cases, respectively. Reversal of cell polarity was observed by MUC 1 in all 11 cases tested, which showed labeling in the stroma-facing surfaces of the micropapillary clusters, also confirming that the clefts are not merely a processing artifact, but indeed a true biologic alteration. In conclusion, invasive micropapillary carcinoma constitutes 4% of carcinomas in the pancreatic/periampullary region and is commonly associated with abundant neutrophilic infiltrates. Invasive miropapillary carcinoma appears to be more common in periampullary than in pancreatic invasive micropapillary carcinoma would qualify as poorly differentiated both based on pattern and the median survival (8 months).. (+info)
KL-6 mucin expression in carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: association with cancer progression.
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AIM: To assess histochemical expression of KL-6 and its clinicopathological significance in carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. METHODS: Ampullary carcinoma tissues were collected from 38 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy or local resection. Tissues were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis using KL-6 antibody. RESULTS: Positive staining of ampullary carcinoma cells was observed in 26 (68.4%) cases. Staining was not found in the surrounding non-cancer regions of the ampullary tissues. Remarkable KL-6 expression was observed in invasive carcinoma cells in pancreatic and duodenal tissues and in metastatic carcinoma cells in lymph nodes. Positive KL-6 expression was related to lymph node metastasis (P = 0.020), pancreatic invasion (P = 0.016), duodenal invasion (P = 0.034), and advanced stage of TNM clinical classification (P = 0.010). Survival analysis showed that positive expression of KL-6 was related to a poorer prognosis (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The aberrant expression of KL-6 mucin is significantly related to unfavorable behaviors of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. (+info)
Composite large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the common bile duct.
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Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a high grade type of neuroendocrine tumour with an aggressive clinical course. This report describes the first case of LCNEC combined with an adenocarcinoma component in the common bile duct. A 68 year old man presented with jaundice. Severe stenosis of the bile duct was revealed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, and adenocarcinoma cells were detected by brush cytology. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed, and the patient died of disease three months after surgery. A tumour measuring 2.0 cm in diameter was located in the intrapancreatic portion of the bile duct. Histologically, the tumour consisted of a LCNEC component and a well differentiated adenocarcinoma component. There were transitional areas between the two components. Immunohistochemically, LCNEC cells were reactive for neuroendocrine markers, but no specific hormonal expression was found. Chromogranin A positive cells were found in some areas of the adenocarcinoma component. These findings are consistent with the theory that both of the carcinoma components originated from a common pluripotent stem cell. (+info)
Carcinoid tumor of the Vater's papilla presenting with chronic pancreatitis--a case report--.
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Carcinoid tumors are common in the duodenum except for in the Vater's papilla [1-9]. We report here a case of carcinoid tumor arising in the Vater's papilla with repeated episods of pancreatitis. The patient is a 28 year-old-woman who had repeated abdominal pain with elevated serum amylase and had been treated as chronic pancreatitis. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a slight dilatation of the main pancreatic duct from the pancreatic head to the tail, and mild swelling of the pancreas. A submucosal tumor measuring 1.3 cm in diameter was detected in the ampulla of Vater by esophagogastroduodenscopy (EGD), and total papillectomy was performed under the suspicious of carcinoid tumor. The tumor was not encapsulated, 1.0 cm in diameter, undefined, and whitish in color. Histologically monomorphic tumor cells with lightly eosinophlic cytoplasm and round nuclei proliferate in trabecular and solid patterns. Immunohistochemically tumor cells were positive for neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A and synaptophysin, and the tumor was diagnosed as carcinoid tumor. It should be noted that carcinoid tumor in the ampulla may occur with initial signs of acute or chronic pancreatitis. (+info)
COX-2 expression in ampullary carcinoma: correlation with angiogenesis process and clinicopathological variables.
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BACKGROUND: There is evidence that the anti-neoplastic effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is attributable to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition, but the exact mechanisms whereby COX-2 can promote tumour cell growth remain unclear. One hypothesis is the stimulation of tumour angiogenesis by the products of COX-2 activity. To data, there have been few clinicopathological studies on COX-2 expression in human ampullary carcinoma and no data have been reported about its relation with tumour angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate by immunohistochemistry the expression of COX-2 and the angiogenesis process in a series of primary untreated ampullary carcinomas. METHODS: Tissue samples from 40 archival ampullary carcinomas were analysed for COX-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and an endothelial cell marker von Willebrand factor (vWF) by immunohistochemistry, using specific antibodies. RESULTS: COX-2 expression was detected in 39 tissue samples (97.5%), of which two (5%) were graded as weak, 26 (65%) as moderate, and 11 (27.5%) as strong. Only one lesion (2.5%) was negative for COX-2 expression. VEGF expression was detected in 36 tissue samples (90%). A significant positive correlation was found between COX-2 and VEGF expression. No statistic correlation was found between COX-2 expression and microvessel density. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 is highly expressed in ampullary carcinomas. This suggests an involvement of the COX-2 pathway in ampullary tumour associated angiogenesis, providing a rationale for targeting COX-2 in the treatment of ampullary cancer. (+info)