[Diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic tumors in children:a retrospective study in a single center].

Objective: To summarize the clinical traits, diagnostic and therapeutic experiences of pancreatic tumors in children. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, clinical data of 35 children with primary pancreatic tumors who were treated at the Department of General Surgery, the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University were collected from January 2010 to June 2023. There were 17 male and 18 female patients, aging from 3 months to 15 years and 1 month, with a median age of 9 years and 2 months. The presenting symptoms included 16 patients who had abdominal mass, 13 had clinical symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting, 4 cases were detected on the physical examination, and 7 cases were discovered on abdominal trauma examinations. Results: Among the 35 cases, 16 cases of tumors were located in the pancreatic head. Among them, 9 cases underwent open pancreaticoduodenal surgery, 2 cases received duodenum-preserving pancreatic cephalectomy, 4 cases underwent pancreatic tumor resection, and 1 case underwent laparotomy for pancreatic tumor biopsy. Seventeen cases had tumors located in the body and tail of the pancreas, including 13 patients who underwent laparoscopic splenic-sparing caudectomy and 4 patients who underwent pancreatic tumors resection. Two cases of von Hippel-Lindau(VHL) with diffuse cystic pancreatic degeneration were continuously observed and followed up. Postoperative pathological examinations revealed that there were 20 cases of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm(SPN), 6 cases of pancreaticoblastoma(PBL), 2 cases of insulinoma, 2 cases of serous cystadenoma, 2 cases of mature teratoma and 1 case of lipoma. Four patients with PBL were completely resected after 4 cycles of induction chemotherapy due to their large tumors. All PBL patients received standardized systematic treatment including surgery and chemotherapy. Postoperative complications included 4 cases(12.1%) of biochemical leakage, 1 case(3.0%) of grade B pancreatic fistula complicated with massive bleeding, 2 cases(6.1%) of elevated platelet count, and 2 cases(6.1%) of intestinal obstruction. One case of grade B pancreatic fistula complicated with massive bleeding underwent emergency surgery, and other cases with complications were cured through conservative treatment. Two patients with SPN recurred at 36 and 33 months and were treated with reoperation. One patient with obstructive jaundice with high-grade transformed SPN was abandoned after diagnosis, and one patient with PBL died. The follow-up period of the patients was 1 to 7 years. The tumor size of 2 VHL patients with diffuse cystic pancreatic degeneration did not change after regular visits, and tumor survival was not observed in other children. Conclusions: There are no specific clinical manifestations of pancreatic tumors in children and there are various pathological types, with the majority being SPN and PBL. Radical surgery for preservation of organ and functions is the preferred treatment for pediatric pancreatic tumors, and most have a favorable prognosis.