Central pancreatectomy for solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: A pancreatic-preserving procedure

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is a rare pancreatic disorder that usually affects young women with no or nonspecific clinical manifestation. It accounts for approximately 1% of pancreatic neoplasms. The incidence of SPN is increasing, owing to improved imaging techniques and better recognition of this entity. Although most patients with SPNs have a favorable prognosis after radical resection, local recurrence or metastasis still occurs after surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 15-year-old female with a small solid pseudopapillary neoplasm in the Pancreas' proximal body. The patient presented with nonspecific symptoms and was diagnosed incidentally. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The patient underwent a central pancreatectomy and was discharged on the fifth postoperative day without complications. Central pancreatectomy may prevent devastating complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy surgery. CONCLUSION: As SPN is a rare entity of pancreatic tumors, the surgical options for management are still debated. The respect for surgery should account for the tumor site and size. Also, life expectancy and surgical complications for each choice should be considered. In localized disease, segmental resection may prevent devastating complications of radical resection.