Pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm
| Pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm | |
|---|---|
| Other names | MCN |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Complications | Pancreatic cancer |
| Usual onset | 40-60 years of age |
| Risk factors | Female gender, older age |
| Treatment | Surgical resection |
Pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) is a type of cystic lesion that occurs in the pancreas. Amongst individuals undergoing surgical resection of a pancreatic cyst, about 23 percent were mucinous cystic neoplasms. These lesions are benign, though there is a high rate of progression to cancer. As such, surgery should be pursued when feasible. The rate of malignancy present in MCN is about 10 percent. If resection is performed before invasive malignancy develops, prognosis is excellent. The extent of invasion is the single most important prognostic factor in predicting survival.