Characteristic of the intraductal papillary mucinous tumours (IPMTs) of the pancreas and correlation between the presence of chronic pancreatitis and the malignant potential

Conclusion The presence of chronic pancreatitis may have an important role to increase the malignant behavior of the IPMTs. Lack of MUC1 expression may be related to less invasive characteristics of IPMTs. MUC2+ alone, or MUC1+ and MUC5AC+ expression together can predict the malignant potential of IPMTs. Pathology IPMT is characterized by dilated pancreatic ducts and ductules that are lined by tall columnar mucin-producing neoplastic epithelial cells with collections of mucin within the ducts oozing from the papilla of Vater. They are classified as low-grade, high-grade or invasive tumours. Based on distribution of the tumour, IPMT is strictly classified into three clinically distinct subtypes, the main ductand branch duct-type, and from the combination of these the mixed-type.