Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater

Thirty-five consecutive cases of adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater seen over the past 36 years were reviewed. The introduction of new diagnostic techniques over the course of this study improved the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis but did not lead to earlier diagnosis. The surgical resectability rate was 88%, and 53% of postoperative survivors were free of disease at 5 years. Of the 14 patients with metastases to regional lymph nodes, 27% survived disease-free for 5 years. Surgical mortality was 25% for the entire series but has been reduced to 6.6% over the past decade. Surgical mortality was primarily due to leakage of the pancreaticojejunostomy; the risk of pancreaticojejunostomy leak correlated inversely with the degree of chronic pancreatitis in the pancreatic remnant. In 35% of resected cases, a benign adenomatous component was contained within the cancer of the ampulla of Vater. Cure rates are good for this lesion. The most important factor in maximizing cure rate is careful attention to the technical details of pancreaticojejunostomy in order to minimize surgical mortality. Benign adenomas appear to be a frequent precursor of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.