Introduction: Ampulla of Vater tumors, neoplastic diseases located at the confluence of the common bile duct with the main pancreatic duct; represent 0.2% of all gastrointestinal cancers.

Method: Retrospective study of all patients admitted in the Emergency Hospital of Bucharest Romania between January 2008 and January 2013, the only selection criterion used being a pathology report which describes an ampulla of Vater carcinoma. We have also performed a review of the medical literature up to 2013, using the PubMed/Medline, Proquest Hospital Collection, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. We have used different combinations of the following keywords: “ampulla of Vater”, “carcinoma”, “resection”, reviewing the reference list of retrieved articles for further relevant studies.

Results: Forty eight patients with ampulla of Vater carcinoma were identified, of whom 59.6% men, 71% from urban areas, and a mean age of 66 ± 13.3 years. Most patients were admitted for obstructive jaundice (49%), right upper quadrant abdominal pain (19%), nausea and loss of appetite in 13%, loss of weight (13%) and upper digestive obstruction in 6% of cases. All patients were evaluated with abdominal transparietal ultrasonography and double contrast, pancreatic protocol, Mutidetector Row Computed Tomography. The abdominal Magnetic Resonance Imaging was performed in 10 cases, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in 9 cases, and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in 39 cases. According to the AJCC Cancer Staging 9% were into stage I, 47% into stage II, 40% into stage III and 4% into stage IV of the disease. The therapeutic approach was surgical for 44 patients and an endoscopic palliation with stent insertion in 4 cases. The surgical procedure was represented by Whipple pancreatoduodenectomy in 27 cases, pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy in 15 cases and exploratory laparotomy in 2 cases. Early morbidity was represented by pancreatic leakage in 4 cases.

Conclusions: There are clinical scenarios in which it is quite challenging to distinguish a primary ampullary adenocarcinoma based on a preoperative workup. Nevertheless, an aggressive approach should be performed, knowing the higher resectability rates and a five-year survival for these patients. Complete surgical resection should be performed in all medically fit patients, candidates for pancreatoduodenectomy, by a high volume, trained surgeon, able to offer a low morbidity and mortality.