Frequency of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm in Patients with and without Pancreas Cancer

Purpose: To determine the frequency of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in patients with and without invasive ductal adenocarcinoma (IDAC). Methods: 82 patients underwent pancreatectomy for pancreas adenocarcinoma. 68/82 subjects underwent at least one preoperative imaging study including CT (n = 43), MRI (n = 25), or both (n = 12). Imaging studies were retrospectively evaluated to determine if IPMN was present in the gland at a location distant from IDAC. In 183 different adult patients undergoing MRI for renal mass, images were evaluated to determine the frequency of IPMN. Fisher's exact test was used to test whether the prevalence of IPMN was greater among patients with pancreas cancer than those without. Results: Five of 68 (7.3%) patients who underwent pancreatic resection for IDAC had IPMN at a site distant from the cancer. Two of 182 (1.1%) patients undergoing MRI for renal cancer had imaging evidence of IPMN. There was a significant difference (p = 0.017) in the prevalence of IPMN between patients with and without IDAC. The odds ratio for IPMN as a predictor of pancreas cancer was estimated as 7.18. Conclusion: IPMN occurs with increased frequency in patients with pancreas cancer as opposed to those without pancreas cancer.