Phlebothrombosis Associated With Mucin-Producing Carcinomas of the Tail and Body of the Pancreas

THE REPORTS of Whipple,1Brunschwig2and Waugh and others3concerning successful surgical extirpation of the pancreas have served to modify the heretofore hopeless attitude of the medical profession regarding malignant tumors of this organ. Furthermore, these accomplishments have stimulated interest in the early diagnosis of carcinoma of the pancreas, particularly in cases in which jaundice plays an inconspicuous part. Several investigators in the field of pancreatic disease have called attention to pain as one of the earliest and most reliable symptoms in cases of carcinoma of the body and tail. Ransom4studied 16 such cases and found epigastric pain to be the predominant symptom. He described the following three types of pain as typical of the disease: (1) a dull aching pain which often is referred to the back, (2) paroxysmal attacks of pain at the umbilical level, also referred to the back and (3) pain