Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas in a man: a case report

Background. Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare neoplasm, accounting for only 1-2 % of all pancreatic neoplasms and having a tendency to affect mainly young women. Material and methods. We report a case of a solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas in a 28-year-old man treated with laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy in Moscow Botkin Hospital. Results. The tumor was discovered incidentally by routine survey ultrasound or computed tomography of the abdomen. The patient underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. The immunohistochemical study showed a pronounced positive nuclear staining for p-catenin and progesterone and a negative staining for chromogranin A and synaptophysin, thus confirming the presence of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas. Conclusion. In case of pancreatic tumor, even in male patients, a solid pseudopapillary tumor must be considered in the differential diagnosis. Surgical strategies should be based on the location, size of the tumor and the involvement of adjacent organs, because R0-resection with a solid pseudopapillary tumor leads to a good 5-year survival.