[Medical management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm]

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is frequently found recently and is a precancerous lesion. Main duct-type should be resected since it can easily progress to invasive IPMN, whereas branch duct-type (BD) usually remains silent without malignant transformation. BD-IPMN should be resected if it has mural nodule, thick wall or septum, or solid component which are the obvious risk factors for malignancy. If the cyst size of BD-IPMN is more than 3 cm in diameter without obvious risk factors, it can be followed-up regularly or can be treated either with surgical resection or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided ethanol lavage. Small BD-IPMN less than 3 cm in size without risk factors can be followed up with sonography, CT scan or EUS annually.