All pancreatic masses are not necessarily the dismal pancreatic ductal adenocaricoma (PDA) and do not necessarily deserve a gloomy prognosis or a nihilistic attitude. We review a rarer group of pancreatic lesions and discuss their pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. A tumour specific selective surgical approach is recommended. The outcome is dependent on the tumour histology and the biological behaviour. The degree of malignancy is variable and ranges across benign, borderline and malignant entities. The prognosis is generally better than that of PDA.
Background: The advent of more sophisticated and ever widely employed imaging modalities has identified the presence of many unsuspected unusual masses in the pancreas. These lesions display natural histories and biological behaviours distinct from adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDA). Though the list is long they include neuroendocrine tumours, cystic tumours, primary pancreatic lymphoma, solid pseudopapillary tumours, connective tissue tumours, metastatic lesions to the pancreas and many others.