Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with uncertain malignant potential: report of two cases

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (NETP) represent only 1%-2% of all pancreatic neoplasms. They can be classified as functioning or non-functioning, respectively, according to the presence or absence of paraneoplastic syndrome. Case 1 concerned a 70-year-old woman with a cystic lesion of the pancreatic head and body. All tumor markers were negative. The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy. The histology revealed a well-differentiated endocrine tumor with uncertain malignant potential. Case 2 was a 61-year-old man with chronic polyserositis. The serum tumor markers were negative, while he was strongly positive for intracystic tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and CA 125. The patient underwent a cephalo-pancreatic duodenectomy. The preoperative differential diagnosis of cystic NETP is still a challenge due to the high rate of the nonfunctional variant. Although cystic NETPs are well differentiated, they are still tumors with a malignant potential, and therefore an early diagnosis and radical surgical resection could be associated with a better long-term survival.