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Rare pancreatic tumors

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Abstract

In this review, we will focus on rare pancreatic tumors. Most of these tumors do not have distinct characteristic appearances so the key to diagnosis requires a combination of imaging appearance, laboratory data, patient demographics, and associated medical syndromes in order to narrow the differential diagnosis. Nonetheless, imaging plays a vital role in narrowing the differential and guiding management. While there are many variant pathologic entities that cannot be encompassed by a single review, we aim to illustrate the imaging appearance of less common pancreatic tumors highlighting key distinctive diagnostic characteristics and discuss the implications for management. While there is overlap in the imaging appearances of many of these entities, for educational purposes, lesions will be categorized into solid (hypoenhancing and hyperenhancing), cystic lesions, mesenchymal neoplasms, and neoplasms seen in younger patients (< 40 years).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University Medical Center, 622 W. 168th Street, PB 1-301, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Jonathan Steinman & Elizabeth M. Hecht

  2. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Atif Zaheer

  3. Columbia University Medical Center, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Michael D. Kluger

  4. Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, VC 14-215, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Helen Remotti

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  1. Jonathan Steinman
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Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Hecht.

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Steinman, J., Zaheer, A., Kluger, M.D. et al. Rare pancreatic tumors. Abdom Radiol 43, 285–300 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-017-1342-x

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