[Rare tumors of the pancreas]

From 1984 to 2001, 486 operations were carried out at the surgical clinic in Gera for pancreatic neoplasms, including 49 patients with rare neoplasms of the pancreas. In 23 patients malignant pancreatic tumors were present (9 solitary metastases, 9 endocrine carcinomas, 2 cystadenocarcinomas, 2 schwannomas and one non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). In 28 benign lesions a resection of the tumor was performed, concerning 8 insulinomas, 8 serous cystadenomas, 3 mucinous cystadenomas and 4 rare cystic tumors. A sarcoidosis, an autoimmune pancreatitis and a radiation fibrosis were diagnosed in 3 patients operated under the suspicion of a malignant pancreatic tumor. By means of own case examples and data from the literature these rare entities are described with their diagnostic and therapeutic special features.