Osteoclast-like giant cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report

The objective was to investigate the diagnosis and related clinical criteria of undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas with osteoid giant cells, and to analyze its treatment and prognosis. we report a case of this disease in a A 62 year old male, who had upper left abdominal pain for more than 10 days, had pain that was aggravated 1 day prior to visit. The pancreas showed a mass with volume 10 cm × 8 cm × 6 cm. On cut section, the mass was fish-fleshy like and necrotic with hemorrhage, and had a close relationship to the residual pancreatic tail. Microscopically, tumor was clearly found around osteoclastic giant cells, and tumor cells invaded the colon and spleen. This is a rare pancreatic tumor with no specific clinical manifestation or serologic marker, composed of undifferentiated osteoid giant cells. Rarely, patients may havelymph node metastasis. The diagnosis should rely on imaging data such as CT and MRI combined with immunohistochemistry. The treatment can be surgical resection, but the prognosis is poor.