Mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas: a case report

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas account for only a small percentage of pancreatic tumours. They include mucinous cystic tumours, which have a higher incidence in females in their forties or fifties. Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas can present in a benign, borderline or malignant form. These tumours have a natural evolution from a benign (mucinous cystadenoma) to a malignant form (cystadenocarcinoma). It is not always easy to diagnose cystic tumours, including mucinous cystic tumours of the pancreas, and the final diagnosis is often reached only after the surgical procedure, which is the gold standard treatment of this disease. We present the case of a 56-year-old woman affected by a mucinous cystic tumour of the body-tail of the pancreas, who underwent distal splenopancreasectomy. She was discharged on postoperative day 12. After an 18-month followup, she is in good general condition and disease-free.