[Surgical resection of tumors in the distal duodenum]

We present six cases of successfully resected primary tumors of the distal part of duodenum (third and fourth segment). Average age of the four male and two female patients was 59 years (47-80). Distal segmental resection were performed in four, pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy in two cases. Histologically the tumors were five adenocarcinomas, and one gastrointestinal stromal tumor. This tumor causing massive bleeding. In two patients, local lymph nodes were tumor positive, and in one patient synchronous metastasis of the greater omentum was excised during a palliative resection. There was no operative mortality. During a mean follow-up period of 17 months two patients died. Our results support the fact, that radical surgical resection of these tumors, even by segmental resection, provides a more favorable prognosis for duodenal carcinoma than for pancreatic tumors.