What is adenocarcinoma of ampulla of Vater?

Ampullary cancer, or ampullary carcinoma, is a cancer that forms in a body part called the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is a small opening that enters into the first portion of the small intestine, known as the duodenum.

What is fluctuating jaundice?

Jaundice appearing over the course of weeks implies a subacute hepatitis or extrahepatic obstruction due to malignancy, gallstone, chronic pancreatitis, or stricture in the common bile duct. Jaundice of fluctuating intensity implicates gallstones, ampullary carcinoma, or possible drug hepatitis.

Where is Periampullary?

The peri-ampulla (PA) region refers to the area within 2cm of the main papilla of the duodenum, including Vater ampulla, lower segment of common bile duct, opening of pancreatic duct, duodenal papilla and duodenal mucosa nearby (1–4).

What is the importance of ampulla of Vater?

The ampulla of Vater is an important landmark halfway along the second part of the duodenum that marks the anatomical transition from foregut to midgut, and hence the point where the celiac trunk stops supplying the gut and the superior mesenteric artery takes over.

How is ampullary carcinoma treated?

The main treatment for ampullary cancer is surgery to remove the tumor. The Whipple procedure (also called a pancreaticoduodenectomy) is used. This is a major surgery where your surgeon removes the tumor in the affected part of the ampulla of Vater. Nearby tissues are often removed as well.

What level of bilirubin indicates jaundice?

The classic definition of jaundice is a serum bilirubin level greater than 2.5 to 3 mg per dL (42.8 to 51.3 μper L) in conjunction with a clinical picture of yellow skin and sclera.

Is it normal for bilirubin to fluctuate?

Bilirubin levels can, however, fluctuate in GS and it is possible that they can be within the normal range over a period of time. Bilirubin is measured in micromoles per litre (umol/L).

Is Periampullary carcinoma curable?

The only potentially curative treatment for ampullary carcinoma is surgical resection. Complete tumor resection with negative margins (R0 resection) is a prerequisite for cure. It can be difficult to distinguish a primary ampullary carcinoma from other periampullary tumors preoperatively.

What is meant by Periampullary carcinoma?

(PAYR-ee-AM-puh-LAYR-ee KAN-ser) A cancer that forms near the ampulla of Vater (an enlargement of the ducts from the liver and pancreas where they join and enter the small intestine).

Can ampullary tumors be benign?

Benign neoplasms of the ampulla of Vater are rare, representing less than 10 percent of periampullary neoplasms [1,2]. Adenomas are the most common benign lesions of the ampulla but have the potential to undergo malignant transformation to ampullary carcinomas [1,3-19].

Is ampulla of Vater same as sphincter of Oddi?

The smooth circular muscle surrounding the end of the common bile duct (biliary sphincter) and main pancreatic duct (pancreatic sphincter) fuse at the level of the ampulla of Vater to become the sphincter of Oddi (Figure 3). The major papilla extends 1 cm into the duodenum with an orifice diameter of 1 mm.