Pancreatic mesenchymal neoplasms

Pancreatic mesenchymal neoplasms (or pancreatic nonepithelial neoplasms) are a group of rare pancreatic neoplasms that arise from the structural elements of the pancreas (nerves, fat, lymph), rather than from the exocrine or endocrine cells of the pancreas. Neoplasms from exocrine and endocrine cells result in more familiar pancreatic neoplasms such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, IPMN, and pancreatic endocrine tumors (formerly termed "islet cell tumors").

Epidemiology

Pancreatic mesenchymal neoplasms are rare and represent at most 1-2% of pancreatic neoplasms ².

Pathology

Pancreatic nonepithelial tumors can be broadly divided into those that are benign and those that are malignant.

Benign

• pancreatic neurofibroma
• pancreatic schwannoma
• pancreatic ganglioneuroma
• pancreatic desmoid tumor
• pancreatic lipoma
• pancreatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (pancreatic PEComa)
• pancreatic mature cystic teratoma (pancreatic dermoid)
• pancreatic lymphangioma

Malignant

• pancreatoblastoma
• pancreatic lymphoma
• pancreatic sarcoma

Radiographic features

A disparate group of tumors, they have many different imaging appearances, based on their underlying histology. As a group, these neoplasms tend to better-marginated than the more infiltrative pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ¹.