In February 2020, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) published the latest guideline on chronic pancreatitis, and put forward practical recommendations on the etiology, natural history, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and follow-up of chronic pancreatitis. This paper aims to provide references for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis in China by interpreting the main content of the guideline and comparing it with related guidelines or consensuses domestically and abroad.
Objective To explore the effect of Frey procedure on patients with chronic pancreatitis, and evaluate pain control as well as the quality of life (QOL) after Frey procedure. Methods The clinical data of 81 patients with chronic pancreatitis who underwent Frey procedure in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2010 to January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Izbicki pain score and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) were used to assess pain and QOL respectively. Results The mean value of operative time were (252±70) minutes (180-430 minutes), the mean value of blood loss were (220±142) mL (100-550 mL), and the mean value of hospital stay were (14.1±4.9) days (8-36 days). After Frey procedure, delayed gastric emptying occurred in 4 patients, hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient, wound infection or fat liquefaction occurred in 6 patients, abdominal infection and pyoperitoneum occurred in 4 patients, and pancreatic fistula occurred in 3 patients. All of the patients were followed up for 4-60 months, and the median time were 28 months. During the follow up period, 11 patients developed diabetes and 10 patients developed steatorrhea, respectively. In addition, the pain related score, including frequency of pain attacks, visual analogue scale of pain, analgetic medication, inability to work, and total pain score, were significantly reduced after Frey procedure (P＜0.001). Moreover, all the functional scales of EORTC -QLQ-C30, except for cognitive function, were improved postoperatively (P ＜0.001). Regarding to the symptom scales, the score of fatigue, pain, loss of appetite, and loss of body weight were significantly lower after surgery (P＜0.050). The scores of QOL after surgery were higher than before surgery (P＜0.001). Conclusion Frey procedure results in good post-operative pain control and significant improvement in qol.
To evaluate the present status of treatment of chronic pancreatitis, 116 consecutive patients with chronic pancreatitis during the last decade (1986～1996) have been surveyed retrospectively. The clinical date has been analized statisticaly. Etiology: biliogenic 56 cases (48.3%), alcoholic 17 (14.6%), idiopathic 34 (29.3%) and other 9 cases (7.8%). Better result was achieved in surgical treatment group (81 cases) than in conservative group (35 cases), pain free: 65.5% vs 33.3%. The accumulated five-year survival rate was 56.3%, 92.2% and 78.1% in alcoholic, billiogenic and idiopathic type of chronic pancreatitis respectively. Morbidity and mortality of diarrhea and diabetes mellitus increased at followup. The authors conclude that the chronic pancreatitis patients associated with obstruction of biliopancreatic duct should undergo operation early and will ameliorate abdominal pain.
Objective To compare the therapy effect between surgical therapy and endoscopic therapy for chronic pancreatitis (CP) combined with pancreatic ductal stones (PDS). Methods Clinical data of 113 cases of CP combined with PDS who got treatment in Southwest Hospital of The Third Military Medical University between January 2010 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively, 84 of them underwent surgery (surgery group), and 29 of them got endoscopic therapy (endoscopy group). Results The operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay, and days in hospital, mortality, incidence of complication (pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, diabetes mellitus, and acute pancreatitis) of the surgery group were all higher than those of endoscopy group (P ＜0.05), but the ratios of the two-stage surgery and recurrence of PDS were all lower (P ＜00.05). The differences between symptom remission rate and residual stones rate were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions For cases of CP combined with PDS, the clinical therapy effect in symptom remission and residual stones between surgical and endoscopic therapy is similar, but compared with the endoscopic therapy, the operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay, and days in hospital of the surgical therapy are both longer. However, the ratios of the two-stage surgery and recurrence of PDS in the endoscopy group is significantly higher than those of surgery group.
Objective To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） assessment and functional evaluation of chronic pancreatitis （CP）. Methods Literatures about MRI assessment of CP （especially the evaluation of pancreatic exocrine function with MRI） were reviewed. Results Some early parenchymal changes （pancreatic size，signal intensity of pancreas， and enhancement pattern） in the CP could be visualized by MRI；ductal changes could be visualized by MR cholangiopancreatography （MRCP）；and secretin-stimulated MRCP （combination of both morphologic and functional evaluation） not only improved the visualization of pancreatic duct and side branches，but also allowed evaluation of the pancreatic exocrine function noninvasively. Secretin-stimulated diffusion weighted imaging also could be used as a noninvasive method to assess pancreatic exocrine function. Conclusions Conventional MRI and （or） secretin-stimulated MRI can become valuable means in CP （especially early-stage CP）， with furnishing morphologic and functional information simultaneously. However，further research is needed to verify the diagnostic accuracy of these modalities.
ObjectiveTo investigate the differential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head and pancreatic carcinoma, and choose the effective treatment of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head. MethodsEighty cases of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head from January 2008 to January 2014 in this hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The preoperative blood tumor markers, hepatobiliary and pancreatic color Doppler ultrasound, CT strengthen, MRI, MRCP, or other imaging studies were tested for all the patients. ResultsThere were 4 cases of long-term drinking or excessive drinking history in 8 cases of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head.The past medical history included 5 patients with acute pancreatitis, 3 patients with chronic cholecystitis, 2 patients with cholecystolithiasis.Six patients had varying degree of jaundice and 5 patients had left upper abdominal pain.There were 4 patients with high blood sugar, 6 patients with serum hyperbilirubin, 5 patients with elevated CA19-9 and 2 patients with elevated CEA by serum assay.The imaging revealed that a mass was in the head of the pancreas.The standard pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 6 cases, duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection was performed in 2 cases.These 8 patients underwent the intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytological examination revealed the changes of chronic pancreatitis by postoperative pathology.The levels of CA19-9 and CEA on 1 week after operation were reduced to normal levels in patients with elevated CA19-9 and CEA alone or together.There was no case of serious complications such as postoperative pancreatic leakage and bile leakage.The intermittent vomiting appeared in 3 months after duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection, the upper gastrointestinal radiography showed the stenosis of duodenum, the contrac-tures of the duodenum, especial the descending duodenum, was found through reoperation, the symptom was relief after gastrojejunal anastomosis.The recurrence was not seen in all these 8 patients with follow-up of 1-6 years. ConclusionsThe jaundice and abdominal for the patients with pancreatic head mass of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer pain are the main symptoms, but their characteristics are different, the former is minor, volatility, and intermittent; the latter is sustained and progressively aggravated.Understanding of past medical history for the identification of both is some significances.CA19-9 and CEA as the identification of the pancreatic head mass in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer is not meaningful.Patients with chronic pancreatitis of pancreatic mass are finished by multi-needle biopsy for pancreatic head mass, duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection is preferred.Patients with invasive pancreatic mass and peripheral vascular adhesion must undergo standard pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Nineteen cats were randomly divided into two groups, 7 cats (group A) recieved about 200 times spotty injections of total of 2 ml of 94% alcohol in pancreatic parenchyma and 12 cats (group B) underwent intraductal alcohoh, partial obstruction of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) and intraparenchymal alcohol. Acute necrotizing pancreatitis occurred in all of the experimental cats after operation. 2 cats in group A (28.6%) died within 48 hours postoperatively. 4 cats in group B (33.3%) died, among them, 3 within 48 hours and 1 died after 2 weeks. Morphological and functional recovery of the exocrine pancreas were found in all the 5 survivals in group A, while 8 cats in group B developed chronic pancreatitis 15 weeks after the operation. The above results show that simple pancreatic necrosis can be recovered after eliminating the etiological factors and if these factors, whatever is primary or secondary still exist and continue to damage the pancreas, chronic pancreatitis may develop.
Objective To introduce the role of pancreatic stellate cells in pancreatic fibrosis and the progress in treatment of pancreatic fibrosis. MethodsRelevant literatures were collected and reviewed. Results Pancreatic stellate cells activation was closely related to pancreatic fibrosis. Inhibition of pancreatic stellate cells activation could provide a new approach in clinical treatment of chronic pancreatitis. Conclusion Pancreatic stellate cells are the key to pancreatic fibrosis, which are becoming the target for antifibrosis of the pancreas and treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
ObjectiveTo explore clinical efficacy of Frey procedures for chronic pancreatitis. MethodsThirty two patients with chronic pancreatitis who underwent Frey procedures in our hospital from June 2000 to October 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. The rate of perioperative complications, pain relief, and especially endocrine and exocrine function of pancreas in longterm followup (mean 43 months) were analyzed. ResultsNo death occurred in all patients. Fat liquefaction of wound was found in two patients and pancreatic fistula was found in one patient, who was cured by conventional treatment. So the rate of perioperative complications was 9.4%(3/32). After Frey procedures, pain disappeared completely in sixteen patients (50.0%), pain relieved in fourteen patients (43.8%) and two cases were ineffective. Therefore, the rate of pain relief in longterm follow-up was 93.8%. The hospitalization was (11±2) d. After surgical treatment the illness of five patients with diabetes mellitus did not aggravate while new onset of diabetes mellitus was observed in three cases. For three cases who suffered from indigestion and steatorrhea, symptomatic relief was found in one patient treated by oral administration of pancreatin and inefficacy was observed in two cases. But four patients with new steatorrhea were found after operation. ConclusionUnder the strict surgical indications, Frey procedure is a safe and effective surgical method for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
ObjectiveTo study the expression of HOX A9 mRNA and its clinicopathological significance in the benign and malignant lesions of pancreas. MethodsIn situ hybridization for HOX A9 mRNA was used on routine paraffinembedded sections. ResultsThe positive rate and scoring mean of HOX A9 mRNA expression was significanfly lower in pancreatic carcinoma (49%, 3.3±2.1) than that in chronic pancreatitis (95%, 5.4±0.8) and pericancerous tissues (80%, 4.6±1.2), the negative case of HOX A9 mRNA in chronic pancreatitis and pericancerous tissues showed middle or severelyatypical hyperplasis of the ductal epitheli. The positive rate and scoring mean of HOX A9 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the cases of welldifferentiation (63%, 4.0±2.2) or without metastasis (64%, 4.1±2.2) than that in the ones of poorlydifferentiation (32%, 2.6±2.3) or with metastasis (32%, 2.7±2.2). ConclusionThe expression of HOX A9 mRNA might be related the carcinogenesis, progress, biological behaviors, and prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma. The assay of HOX A9 mRNA expression in the benign lesions of pancreas might have important clinical values in the prevention and earlystage finding of the pancreatic carcinoma.