Guidelines for adequate histopathological reporting of pancreatic ductal adeno- carcinoma resection specimens

More than 90% of all malignant tumours of the pan- creas are exocrine carcinomas and, of these, 95% are ductal adenocarcinomas (1-2). Since a cure is possible only in case of complete resection of the primary tumour, including its local and regional extensions, the arrival of a resected pancreas in the surgical pathology laboratory is a quite common but for many pathologists stressful event, due to the complexity of the anatomy and the importance of a good dissection in establishing the correct diagnosis and staging. However, a simple, logical approach to the dissection and histopathological reporting can avoid many problems.