Ampullary and periampullary tumors

Ninety-eight consecutive patients with ampullary and periampullary carcinoma diagnosed between 1983-1993 were studied retrospectively. Among these patients, 66 had a carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, 10 a carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, 8 a carcinoma of the duodenum, and 14 a carcinoma of the distal common bile duct. Resectability rate ranged from 12% to 90% according to the tumor location and histologic type. Palliative procedures such as laparotomy, biopsy and bilio-digestive bypasses were performed in 27 patients. Curative resections were performed in 24 cases: 20 pancreatoduodenectomies, 2 total pancreatectomies, 1 duodenectomy, 1 common bile duct resection. The results of the surgical treatment as well as mortality and morbidity rates were compared with those of different and larger series.