Karate injury leads to detection of rare pancreatic tumour in 10-year-old, surgery performed | Pune News
Pune: A 10-year-old girl was diagnosed with a rare pancreatic tumour after she underwent medical evaluation for abdominal pain following a blunt injury during a karate class. The tumour was removed through surgery at a private hospital in Baner earlier this month, doctors said.The child was brought for examination after she complained of persistent abdominal discomfort following the injury, said doctors at Manipal Hospitals. Imaging tests revealed a mass in the pancreas. Further investigations confirmed it to be a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) — an uncommon, low-grade malignant tumour.Doctors said SPN accounts for a small proportion of pancreatic tumours. It is seen more often in adolescents and young adults, mainly girls. Occurrence in younger children is less common. The patient had no prior symptoms and the tumour was detected incidentally during evaluation after the injury, they added.Consultant surgical oncologist Dr Amit Parasnis said, “After assessing the pancreatic anatomy during surgery, we performed a specialised central or median pancreatectomy, instead of a more extensive Whipple’s procedure. Thus, we were able to preserve the duodenum and part of the pancreas. The surgery was challenging, because the pancreas lies close to major blood vessels and children have lower tolerance for blood loss. However, the tumour was removed safely and pancreatic function was preserved,” he said.Doctors said pancreatic tumours may remain asymptomatic for long periods and get detected during scans done for unrelated complaints. Early diagnosis and timely surgery generally lead to good outcomes in cases of low-grade tumours, they added.Hospital officials said the child recovered well after surgery and has resumed routine activities. The procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team comprising a surgical oncologist, paediatric surgeon and gastroenterologist, along with anaesthetists and paediatric intensive care specialists, the hospital said.
