Islet cell tumor of the pancreas: increasing diagnosis after instituting ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration.

OBJECTIVE

To review the clinical and cytomorphologic features of pancreatic islet cell tumors (ICT).

STUDY DESIGN

Computer search identified patients with pancreatic ICT diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) between January 1995 and December 2003. Clinical, radiographic, and cytomorphologic findings were reviewed.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight patients (19 men, 19 women; median age 60 years, range 30-82) with ICT were identified; 30 were diagnosed through endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-FNAB and 8 through computed tomography (CT)-guided FNAB. Smears of 37 specimens had adequate cellularity. Most were highly cellular with bloody backgrounds. No major differences were observed between specimens obtained by EUS-FNAB or CT-FNAB. Radiographically, 20 tumors measured 1-5 cm, 7 were > 5 cm and 4 < 1 cm. Twenty-two patients underwent tumor resection.

CONCLUSION

Newer radiography and biopsy techniques to detect and examine smaller pancreatic masses have increased the number of pancreatic ICT diagnoses at our institution. The distinctive cytomorphologic features of pancreatic ICT make it reliably diagnosable by FNAB.