Pancreatic Neoplasm in Childhood

Six cases with pancreatic tumors are reported.The tumors were malignant in four and benign in two.The ages of the patients ranged from 2 to 9 years.The primary sites of the tumor were:2 in the head and 4 in the body or tail of the pancreas.The pathological findings reveal:pancreatic acinar carcinoma 1,choledochal carcinoma of the intra-pancreatic portion of common bile duct with invasion of the pancreatic head1.malignant non-functioning islet cell carcinoma 1.malignant papillary tumor of the pancreatic head 1,and true pancreatic cyst 2.The surgical treatment:2 patients had a Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy,4 patients had the partial pancreatectomy with the removal of the tumor.Four patients are living and well without recurrence.The longest follow-up is 2 years.Because the pancreatic neoplasms are curable in many instances,early diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma among abdominal masses in chiidren must be stressed.The differential diagnosis and the technique of pancreatic jejunal anastomosis are also discribed in the article.