Imaging of paraduodenal pancreatitis:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Paraduodenal pancreatitis(PP)represents a diagnostic challenge,especially in non-referral centers,given its potential imaging overlap with pancreatic cancer.There are two main histological variants of PP,the cystic and the solid,with slightly different imaging appearances.Moreover,imaging findings in PP may change over time because of disease progression and/or as an effect of its risk factors exposition,namely alcohol intake and smoking.AIM To describe multimodality imaging findings in patients affected by PP to help clinicians in the differential diagnosis with pancreatic cancer.METHODS The systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses 2009 guidelines.A Literature search was performed on PubMed,Embase and Cochrane Library using(groove pancreatitis[Title/Abstract])OR(PP[Title/Abstract])as key words.A total of 593 articles were considered for inclusion.After eliminating duplicates,and title and abstract screening,53 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility.Eligibility criteria were:Original studies including 8 or more patients,fully written in English,describing imaging findings in PP,with pathological confirmation or clinical-radiological follow-up as the gold standard.Finally,14 studies were included in our systematic review.RESULTS Computed tomography(CT)findings were described in 292 patients,magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)findings in 231 and endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)findings in 115.Duodenal wall thickening was observed in 88.8%of the cases:Detection rate was 96.5%at EUS,91.0%at MRI and 84.1%at CT.Second duodenal portion increased enhancement was recognizable in 76.3%of the cases:Detection rate was 84.4%at MRI and 72.1%at CT.Cysts within the duodenal wall were detected in 82.6%of the cases:Detection rate was 94.4%at EUS,81.9%at MRI and 75.7%at CT.A solid mass in the groove region was described in 40.9%of the cases;in 78.3%of the cases,it showed patchy enhancement in the portal venous phase,and in 100%appeared iso/hyperintense during delayed phase imaging.Only 3.6%of the lesions showed restricted diffusion.The prevalence of radiological signs of chronic obstructive pancreatitis,namely main pancreatic duct dilatation,pancreatic calcifications,and pancreatic cysts,was extremely variable in the different articles.CONCLUSION PP has peculiar imaging findings.MRI is the best radiological imaging modality for diagnosing PP,but EUS is more accurate than MRI in depicting duodenal wall alterations.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in adults:A shared position statement of the Italian association for the study of the pancreas

This is a medical position statement developed by the Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency collaborative group which is a part of the Italian Association for the Study of the Pancreas(AISP).We covered the main diseases associated with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency(EPI)which are of common interest to internists/gastroenterologists,oncologists and surgeons,fully aware that EPI may also occur together with many other diseases,but less frequently.A preliminary manuscript based on an extended literature search(Medline/PubMed,Cochrane Library and Google Scholar)of published reports was prepared,and key recommendations were proposed.The evidence was discussed at a dedicated meeting in Bologna during the National Meeting of the Association in October 2012.Each of the proposed recommendations and algorithms was discussed and an initial consensus was reached.The final draft of the manuscript was then sent to the AISP Council for approval and/or modification.All concerned parties approved the final version of the manuscript in June 2013.

Mass-forming pancreatitis: Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

AIM： To assess the utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography （CEUS） with a second-generation contrast medium in the differential diagnosis between mass-forming pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS： From our radio-pathology database, we retrieved all the patients affected by mass-forming pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma who underwent CEUS. We evaluated the results of CEUS in the study of the 173 pancreatic masses considering the possibilities of a differential diagnosis between mass-forming pancreatitis and pancreatic tumor by identifying the ＂parenchymographic＂ enhancement during the dynamic phase of CEUS, which was considered diagnostic for mass-forming pancreatitis. RESULTS： At CEUS, 94% of the mass-forming pancreatitis showed intralesional parenchymography. CEUS allowed diagnosis of mass-forming pancreatitis with sensitivity of 88.6%, specificity of 97.8%, positive predictive value of 91.2%, negative predictive value of 97.1%, and overall accuracy of 96%. CEUS significantly increased the diagnostic confidence in the differential diagnosis between mass-forming pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma, with receiver operating characteristic curve areas from 0.557 （P = 0.1608） for baseline US to 0.956 （P 〈 0.0001） for CEUS. CONCLUSION： CEUS allowed diagnosis of massforming pancreatitis with diagnostic accuracy of 96%. CEUS significantly increases the diagnostic confidence with respect to basal US in discerning mass-forming pancreatitis from pancreatic neoplasm.

ERCP in acute pancreatitis:What takes place in routine clinical practice?

AIM:To evaluate the data from a survey carried out in Italy regarding the endoscopic approach to acute pancreatitis in order to obtain a picture of what takes place after the release of an educational project on acute pancreatitis sponsored by the Italian Association for the Study of the Pancreas.METHODS:Of the 1 173 patients enrolled in our survey,the most frequent etiological category was biliary forms(69.3%) and most patients had mild pancreatitis(85.8%).RESULTS:344/1 173(29.3%) underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).The mean interval between the onset of symptoms and ERCP was 6.7 ± 5.0 d;only 89 examinations(25.9%) were performed within 72 h from the onset of symptoms.The main indications for ERCP were suspicion of common bile duct stones(90.3%),jaundice(44.5%),clini cal worsening of acute pancreatitis(14.2%) and cho langitis(6.1%).Biliary and pancreatic ducts were visua lized in 305 patients(88.7%) and in 93 patients(27.0%) respectively.The success rate in obtaining a cholangio gram was statistically higher(P = 0.003) in patients with mild acute pancreatitis(90.6%) than in patients with severe disease(72.2%).Biliary endoscopic sphinc terotomy was performed in 295 of the 305 patients(96.7%) with no difference between mild and severe disease(P = 0.985).ERCP morbidity was 6.1% and mortality was 1.7%;the mortality was due to the complications of acute pancreatitis and not the endoscopic procedure.CONCLUSION:The results of this survey,as with those carried out in other countries,indicate a lack of compliance with the guidelines for the indications for interventional endoscopy.

A practical approach to the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a disease characterized by specific pathological features,different from those of other forms of pancreatitis,that responds dramatically to steroid therapy.The pancreatic parenchyma may be diffusely or focally involved with the possibility of a low-density mass being present at imaging,mimicking pancreatic cancer.Clinically,the most relevant problems lie in the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis and in distinguishing autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer.Since in the presence of a pancreatic mass the probability of tumour is much higher than that of pancreatitis,the physician should be aware that in focal autoimmune pancreatitis the first step before using steroids is to exclude pancreatic adenocarcinoma.In this review,we briefly analyse the strategies to be followed for a correct diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA of small(≤15 mm) solid pancreatic lesions using a 25-gauge needle

Background: Early detection of small solid pancreatic lesions is increasingly common. To date, few and contradictory data have been published about the relationship between lesion size and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) diagnostic yield. The aim of this study was to assess the relation between the size of solid pancreatic lesions and the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA using a 25-gauge needle in a center without available rapid on-site evaluation.Methods: In the retrospective cohort study, we selected patients who underwent EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions with a 25-gauge needle from October 2014 to October 2015. Patients were divided into three groups(≤15 mm, 16–25 mm and >25 mm), and the outcomes were compared.Results: We analyzed 163 patients. Overall adequacy, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 85.2%,81.8%, 93.7%, and 80.4%, respectively. When stratified by size, the sensitivity and accuracy correlated with size(P = 0.016 and P = 0.042, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that lesion size was the only independent factor(P = 0.019, OR = 4.76) affecting accuracy. The role of size as an independent factor affecting accuracy was confirmed in a separate multivariate analysis, where size was included in the model as a covariate(P = 0.018, OR = 1.08).Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that, in the absence of rapid on-site evaluation, mass size affects the accuracy of EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic lesions.

Autoimmune pancreatitis not otherwise specified(NOS): Clinical features and outcomes of the forgotten type

Background:Autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP)is a well-recognized fibroinflammatory disease of the pancreas.Despite the significant number of studies published on AIP type 1 and 2,no studies have been focused on AIP type not otherwise specified(NOS)and therefore very little is known about clinical features and long-term outcomes of these patients.The aim of this study was to investigate clinical and radiological features of AIP type NOS-patients.Methods:Patients classified as AIP type NOS at clinical onset included in our database prospectively maintained since 1995 were evaluated.Epidemiological,clinical data were collected and analyzed.Results:Forty-six patients were included in the study.The clinical onset was mainly characterized by weight loss,jaundice and acute pancreatitis.Eight patients(17.4%)were reclassified as AIP type 2 during follow-up because of the development of ulcerative colitis.Seven patients(15.2%)experienced relapse after steroid treatment but only one(2.2%)needed immunosuppressive drugs because of recurrent relapses.Conclusions:AIP type NOS shares clinical features similar to AIP type 2 and a relevant proportion of patients was reclassified as AIP type 2 during follow-up because of the development of ulcerative colitis.The risk of relapse is low but not irrelevant.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator functional evaluations in a G542X+/-IVS8Tn:T7/9 patient with acute recurrent pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Acute recurrent pancreatitis(ARP)is characterized by episodes of acute pancreatitis in an otherwise normal gland.When no cause of ARP is identifiable,the diagnosis of"idiopathic"ARP is given.Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)gene increase the risk of ARP by 3-to 4-times compared to the general population,while cystic fibrosis(CF)patients present with a 40-to 80-times higher risk of developing pancreatitis.CASE SUMMARY In non-classical CF or CFTR-related disorders,CFTR functional tests can help to ensure a proper diagnosis.We applied an individualized combination of standardized and new CFTR functional bioassays for a patient referred to the Verona CF Center for evaluation after several episodes of acute pancreatitis.The CFTR genotype was G542X+/-with IVS8Tn:T7/9 polymorphism.The sweat(Cl-)values were borderline.Intestinal current measurements were performed according to the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Standardized Operating Procedure.Recent nasal surgery for deviated septum did not allow for nasal potential difference measurements.Lung function and sputum cultures were normal;azoospermia was excluded.Pancreas divisum was excluded by imaging but hypoplasia of the left hepatic lobe was detected.Innovative tests applied in this case include sweat rate measurement by image analysis,CFTR function in monocytes evaluated using a membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent probe,and the intestinal organoids forskolin-induced swelling assay.CONCLUSION Combination of innovative CFTR functional assays might support a controversial diagnosis when CFTR-related disorders and/or non-classical CF are suspected.