Intraductal papillary neoplasms of the pancreas: diagnosis by endoscopic pancreatic biopsy.

Intraductal papillary neoplasms of the pancreas (IPN) are rare tumors, distinct from other pancreatic duct cell carcinomas both in terms of papillary polyp formation in the main pancreatic duct and their favorable prognosis. In the present study, endoscopic pancreatic biopsy (EPB) under fluoroscopic control was employed in three cases of IPN to obtain a tissue diagnosis prior to surgery. There were no complications and all biopsy specimens were adequate for histopathological evaluation. In our experience, EPB is a simple, safe and effective method, yielding sufficient material for preoperative tissue diagnosis of pancreatic tumors, especially in the case of IPN.