TI - Nonfunctioning pancreatic tumor manifestated as abdominal mass in a child. An encapsulated tumor, measuring approximately 8 x 7 cm, was found during operation, and debulking surgery was done. Histopathologic studies proved that it was a pancreatic tumor, compatible with non-functioning islet cell tumors. She displayed neither clinical picture of jaundice, nor excessive hormonal manifestations such as diarrhea or flushing. To our knowledge, it has never been reported in children in Taiwan.
Some tumors present with well characterized syndromes, while others appear to be nonfunctioning.
Eighteen patients with pancreatic endocrine tumors who received surgical treatment at Kurume University Hospital during a 24-year period were reviewed. There were 10 patients with nonfunctioning tumors including 3 patients with benign tumors, and 8 patients with insulinomas. No patients had multiple endocrine neoplasms. Immunohistochemical analysis of the resected specimens showed multi immunoreactivity to gut hormones among benign lesions and one malignant lesion, whereas malignant lesions showed no or mono immunoreactivity except in one case. In this series, there were no characteristic immunohistochemical findings in the tumors.