Objective:To analyze the clinical features and appropriate surgical treatment methods of pancreatic endocrine tumors.
Methods:The clinical data of 33 cases of pancreatic endocrine tumors treated in our hospital during February 1989 to February 2008 were retrospectively anslyzed.
Results:There were 18 cases of insulinoma, 9 of nonfunctional islet cell tumor, 4 of gastrinoma and 2 of glucagonoma. In a total of 33 cases, 29 patients underwent radical resection,and 4 patients with unresectable tumors did not undergo resection. The overall resection rate was 87.8%, with postoperative complications of pancreatic leakages in 5 cases and  intestionol obstruction  in 2 cases.  There were no hospital deaths. The mean follow-up of 26 pationts was (4.7±3.5) years(9 months to 14 years).The 1- and 3- year  survival rate of 14 malignant cases was 71.4% and 50.0%, respectively; all of the 19 patients  with benign tumors survived.
Conclusions:The best choice for treatment of pancreatic endocrine tumors is complete surgical resection.  Pre-operative localization diagnosis of the tumor should be emphasized. At operation, careful palpation and ultrasonography is the key to accurately locate the tumor. The choice of proper operative procedure can help to avoid the occurrence of complications.