Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance represents less than 0.1% of all tumors, treatment of which requires wide local excision (≥5cm) but recurrence is not rare. Here we present a 32-year male presented with a swelling of 15 x 6cm over the left lumbar region for which he underwent excision three years ago, the histopathological examination of the swelling, showed a malignant mesenchymal tumor and Immunohistochemistry features were suggestive of Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberance. After three years of interval, he again presented with complaints of swelling in the previously operated site for nine months and underwent excision of the mass with Split Thickness Skin Graft. Although the tumor was confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue in the present case, the patient didn’t undergo any adjuvant radiotherapy to avoid a possible relapse that would infiltrate deeper structures for the first time. Being a recurrent tumor, long-term follow-up is strongly recommended.
Introduction
The advent of neoadjuvant therapy in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma has significantly improved the prognosis of the disease. Nevertheless, the only chance of long-term disease-free survival in pancreatic cancer is achieved with complete tumor resection, and artery involvement by the tumor is one of the major determinants in its resectability. We aim to evaluate the feasibility of a novel technique, namely, the periarterial divestment, which has allowed surgeons to clear the tumor tissues off the visceral arteries without the need for arterial reconstruction.
Materials and methods
In this single-center, retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study done between August 2019 and July 2021, seven consecutive patients with histologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who underwent neoadjuvant therapy were included. Arterial divestment was performed in six of seven patients and arterial reconstruction was performed in one of the patients. The data on perioperative and the early oncological outcome were recorded.
Results
Five patients underwent periarterial divestment, one underwent sub-adventitial divestment, and one underwent superior mesenteric artery reconstruction due to deeper tumor infiltration into the arterial wall. The intraoperative frozen section of periarterial tissue was positive in three cases and the final histopathological specimen after the divestment showed a positive margin in two of the cases. The clinically significant postoperative pancreatic fistula was noted in two patients, and one patient experienced grade C post-pancreaticoduodenectomy hemorrhage due to a hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm. Four patients, all of whom underwent periarterial divestment, experienced postoperative diarrhea. There were no mortality and the median postoperative hospital stay was seven days.
Conclusion
The need for arterial reconstruction in borderline and locally advanced pancreatic cancer can be avoided by using the periarterial divestment technique. Divestment of arteries is technically feasible and can be carried out safely without compromising the patient's oncological outcome. However, further validation of this technique must be done by well-designed studies with a greater sample size.
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