A hitherto unrecognized variant of solid-pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is reported. The tumor presented in the pancreatic tail of a 44-year-old female patient. It was a well-defined, solid nodule measuring 25mm in diameter, with homogenous tan gray cut surface. Histologically, the neoplasm was mostly composed of sheets of spindle cells. No cellular atypia and mitosis was identified. The periphery of the tumor showed typical feature of SPT. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, CD10, CD56, beta-catenin, and alpha;1-antichymotrypsin, but negative for cytokeratin, chromogranin, synaptophysin and S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, the tumor showed a few acinar spaces with microvilli between tumor cells. This case is peculiar in that the tumor did not show gross cystic change and predominantly consists of spindle shaped tumor cells, so may cause difficult diagnostic problem.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery/ultrastructure

Malignant insulinoma in the beta cells of the pancreatic islet is rare and usually presented as hypoglycemia. We report a case of large malignant insulinoma in a 53-year-old Korean woman. A presumptive clinical diagnosis was made before surgery, based on the high plasma insulin-to-glucose ratio and a large solitary heterogeneous pancreatic mass by abdominal computed tomography and endosonography. The tumor measured 5.8X4.7X4.5 cm in dimension and showed capsular invasions and metastases in two of four peripancreatic lymph nodes. The tumor cells were strongly immunoreactive to insulin and had a high Ki-67 labeling index (13%) and atypical membranous electron-dense granules, ranging from 120 to 400 nm in diameter, in the cytoplasm on electron microscopy. The patient was treated by distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy and rapidly recovered without neurohypoglycemic symptoms. This case showed not only lymph node metastases, the most reliable parameter for malignancy in pancreatic endocrine tumors, but also other valid diagnostic clues, such as high Ki-67 labeling index, heterogeneous enodosonographic findings, capsular invasions with large tumor and pure atypical secretory granules.
Biopsy, Needle ; Endosonography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulinoma/*diagnosis/*surgery ; Islets of Langerhans/pathology/ultrastructure ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pancreatectomy/*methods ; Pancreatic Function Tests ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*surgery ; Risk Assessment ; Treatment Outcome