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Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy in Children: Case Report and Review of the Literature

¹ General Surgery, Baggiovara Hospital, Modena, Italy
² General Surgery B, University Hospital GB Rossi, Policlinico GB Rossi, Borgo Roma, Piazzale LA Scuro, 10 37134, Verona, Italy
³ Paediatric Clinic, Desenzano Hospital, Desenzano del Garda, (BS), Italy

Correspondence: Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Alvise Cavallini, MD; E-mail: alvise.cavallini{at}tiscali.it

Background: Laparoscopic resection of benign tumors of the pancreas has been reported in adults, but only four cases of partial laparoscopic pancreatectomy in children have been described in the English-language literature.

Methods: We describe the case of an 11-year-old girl with a solid pseudopapillary tumor who was treated with a laparoscopic, spleen-preserving, distal pancreatectomy. The specimen was extracted in an endoscopic bag retrieval system through a Pfannenstiel incision. Operative time was 120 minutes, and minimal blood loss occurred. The literature is reviewed.

Results: The postoperative course was uneventful. Twenty-two months after the operation, clinical follow-up (including assessment of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function) revealed nothing abnormal. The functional and aesthetic results were satisfactory.

Conclusions: The technique used for our case is simple and reproducible, was completed safely within a reasonable operative time, and yielded a good result.

Key Words: Laparoscopy • Children • Pancreatectomy • Solid pseudopapillary tumor