Solid pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas in young women: Case report

Introduction and importance: Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPTP) is a rare tumor of the exocrine pancreas, with undetermined etiopathogeny, which most often affects young women. The clinical and physical signs are non-specific and despite the progress of complementary examinations, Confirmation is usually anatomopathological. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment.

Case presentation: We report the case of a 17-year-old girl, consulted for a left hypochondrium mass which imaging concluded to be a corporal-caudal tumor mass of the pancreas for which a complete surgical excision was performed and whose anatomopathological study confirmed a pseudo-papillary and solid tumor of the pancreas. The positive diagnosis of SPTP remains difficult and is usually made on pathological analysis with immunohistochemical study.

Discussion: Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare anatomic-clinical entity, first described by Frantz in 1959. The clinical manifestations of SPTP are not specific. Biologically, no signs are predictive of SPTP and imaging usually shows a well encapsulated mass with both solid and cystic components. The curative treatment of SPTP is exclusively surgical and consists of a complete removal of the tumor with its capsule because of its degenerative potential SPTP has a good prognosis with a recurrence rate of 10-15% and 95% survival at 5 years.

Conclusion: Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare tumor of the exocrine pancreas. Its evolution is slow. Preoperative diagnosis remains difficult despite the progress of complementary examinations. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment. Its prognosis remains excellent.