Introduction: Studies on neoadjuvant treatment have been actively conducted in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, neoadjuvant treatment effectiveness, especially in clinical T1 stage patients, still needs to be determined. We comparatively evaluated the oncologic benefit of preoperative neoadjuvant treatment in clinical T1 stage pancreatic cancer. Methods: Data from two centers were included in the comparative analysis, with overall and recurrence-free survival as primary outcomes, between January 2010 and December 2017. Results: In total, 45 patients were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Two patients in the neoadjuvant group were excluded because of distant metastasis during neoadjuvant treatment. Finally, 43 patients underwent a pancreatectomy for clinical T1 pancreatic cancer, of whom, 35 and 8 patients underwent upfront surgery and neoadjuvant treatment, respectively. Overall survival was similar in the two study groups (5-year overall survival rate: neoadjuvant group, 75%; upfront surgery group, 43.9%, p = 0.066). Conclusions: In our study on patients with clinical T1 stage pancreatic cancer, no significant differences were reported in the oncological outcome in the neoadjuvant therapy group. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to determine the survival benefits of neoadjuvant treatment for early-stage pancreatic cancer.

Background: Primary omental tumors are extremely rare. Herein, we report the first case of a primary omental neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Case presentation: A 59-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for the treatment of an 18-mm tumor located at the ventral side of the duodenum. No other tumor was detected. The preoperative imaging diagnosis was omental tumor. A laparoscopic tumor resection was performed. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of cuboidal cells with eosinophilic, granular cytoplasm showing trabecular or ribbon architecture. No other component was seen. The mitotic count was of 5 per 10 high-power fields. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and CD56. Her Ki-67 index was 5%. These results led to the diagnosis of grade 2 omental NET. The patient was discharged on the 3rd postoperative day without any complications and did not develop any recurrence for 3 years. Conclusions: We encountered a very rare case of omental NET. Complete resection is recommended with minimally invasive surgery for the diagnosis of NET.

Management of gastrointestinal perforation in patients with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is clinically challenging. A male in his 40s with vEDS presented with right lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed a foreign body in the ileum with bowel perforation. A detailed inquiry revealed that he had consumed codfish six days prior. Based on these findings, he was diagnosed with a small bowel perforation caused by a fish bone. Emergency laparotomy was performed and intraoperative findings showed a fish bone in the ileum penetrating the mesentery. We resected ~5 cm of the small intestine, including the perforation site. Although the patient experienced postoperative paralytic ileus, he was discharged on postoperative Day 27. Gastrointestinal perforation caused by fish bones in patients with vEDS is extremely rare and requires careful assessment to determine the appropriate treatment. For surgeons, an individualized surgical strategy and optimal perioperative management are important to prevent fatal complications.

Background: Pancreatic lipomas (PLs) arising from the adipose tissue in the pancreatic parenchyma are rare among pancreatic tumors. Coexisting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and PLs have not been previously reported. Herein, we report a case of PDAC arising from the pancreatic parenchyma with chronic pancreatitis compressed by a large PL. Case presentation: The patient was a 69-year-old male. He had been diagnosed with a PL using computed tomography (CT) 12 years previously. The tumor had been slowly growing and was followed up carefully because of the possibility of well-differentiated liposarcoma. During follow-up, laboratory data revealed liver damage and slightly elevated levels of inflammatory markers. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed the previously diagnosed 12 cm pancreatic head tumor and an irregular isodensity mass at the upper margin of the tumor that invaded and obstructed the distal common bile duct. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography demonstrated no specific findings in the main pancreatic duct. Based on these imaging findings, the patient underwent endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage and bile duct brushing cytology, which revealed indeterminate findings. The differential diagnosis of the tumor at that time was as follows: (1) pancreatic liposarcoma (focal change from well-differentiated to dedifferentiated, not lipoma), (2) distal cholangiocarcinoma, and (3) pancreatic cancer. After the cholangitis improved, a pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histologically, hematoxylin–eosin staining revealed moderately differentiated PDAC compressed by proliferating adipose tissue. The adipose lesion showed homogeneous adipose tissue with no evidence of sarcoma, which led to a diagnosis of lipoma. Additionally, extensive fibrosis of the pancreatic parenchyma and atrophy of the acinar cells around the lipoma was suggestive of chronic pancreatitis. The pathological diagnosis was PDAC (pT2N0M0 pStage Ib) with chronic pancreatitis and PL. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 15th day after surgery. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and has remained recurrence-free for more than 6 months. Conclusions: PL may be associated with the development of PDAC in the surrounding inflammatory microenvironment of chronic pancreatitis. In cases of growing lipomas, careful radiologic surveillance may be needed not only for the possibility of liposarcoma but also for the coincidental occurrence of PDAC.