We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the Papilla Vater. A 62-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of upper abdominal pain and tarry stool. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a tumor in the second portion of the duodenum. Imaging studies and operative findings disclosed that the tumor had invaded the head of the pancreas. A pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and the tumor was rated as T3, N0, H0, P0, M(-), and Stage III. A pathological study revealed pure squamous cell carcinoma originating from the Papilla Vater. The patient has been well without any evidence of recurrence for 20 months after the surgery.
Only seven cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the Papilla Vater have been reported. Four patients of them including this patient were operated on and three out of these four patients survived for more than one year as far as we could review. Previously published articles have inferred that cancer change occurs subsequent to squamous metaplasia or metaplastic change of adenocarcinoma as the origin. However, the etiology of this rare tumor has not been elucidated as yet. Further investigations are essential for understanding of the tumor.