The course of chronic pancreatitis is prolonged, and pain is the main symptom, which seriously affects the quality of life and work ability of patients. Its treatment is the most important and complex problem. This article systematically describes the theoretical basis, indications, efficacy, selection and balance of drugs, endoscopy, surgery and other measures related to pain treatment.
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.
Objective To compare the surgical outcome of surgical treatment for chronic pancreatic head mass pancreatitis combined with pancreatic duct stones.
Methods Clinical data of 19 patients diagnosed as chronic pancreatic head mass pancreatitis combined with pancreatic duct stones by pathology in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively and patients were divided into Beger group (n=9) and Frey group (n=10) according to operation type.
Results The duration of operation, blood loss, morbidity, ratio of postoperative pancreatic fistula of grade B, ratio of abdominal cavity infection, ratio of gastric emptying dysfunction, total length of hospital stay, and total hospitalization cost in Frey group were less or lower than those in Beger group significantly (P <0.05). None of death or pancreatic fistula of grade C happened in both 2 groups, and abdominal pain and jaundice were subsided in all patients. There were 18 patients (94.7%) were followed up for (8.6±2.5) years ( 5-12 years), and just 1 patient of Frey group was not available for followup. The ratios of 5-year pain subsided of 2 groups were both 7/9, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up period, there was no dead, relapsed, cancerate or reoperation, but 2 patients suffered from diabetes (1 patient of Frey group and 1 patient of Beger group), 2 patients suffered from steatorrhea (1 patient of Frey group and 1 patient of Beger group), and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the ratios of diabetes and steatorrhea (P>0.05).
Conclusion The effect is equal for Frey surgery and Beger surgery in treatment of chronic pancreatic head mass pancreatitis combined with pancreatic duct stones, but recover of patient who receives Frey surgery is better than that of Beger surgery.
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.
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 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.
Objective To summarize the principle and application of functional MR imaging of pancreatic carcinoma and chronic mass-forming type pancreatitis. Methods Articles about diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetic resonance spectrum imaging (MRSI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis were reviewed and analyzed. Results Functional MR imaging could reflected the differences in molecules diffusion, metabolism and tissue perfusion between pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis. Conclusion As a non-invasive protocol, functional MR imaging can provide useful information in differential diagnosis between chronic mass-forming type pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma.
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.
ObjectiveTo review the current clinical application of Beger procedure and Frey procedure for benign disease or low-grade malignant potential lesion of pancreas. MethodsRelevant literatures about current advance of clinical application of Beger procedure and Frey procedure published recently of domestic and abroad were collected and reviewed. ResultsWith the concept of organ-preserving operations was adopted in recent years, Beger procedure and Frey procedure were applied generally. Beger procedure and Frey procedure were associated with tolerable perioperative risk, postoperative complications, and good outcomes in the aspects of preservation of function and curability in these lesions compared to conventional pancreatectomy, with preservation of the physiological food passage, thus patients gained weight faster, had less pain, and demonstrated better exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function postoperatively and an improvement in the quality of life. Both procedures had reached an international position as a standard operation for the treatment of benign disease or low-grade malignant potential lesion of pancreas. But after long-term following-up early advantages were no longer present. ConclusionsBeger procedure and Frey procedure are safe and effective in providing good outcomes in the aspects of preservation of function and curability in benign disease or low-grade malignant potential lesion of pancreas. Organ-preserving pancreatectomy could become a new organ-preserving standard operation.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the causes, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis (CP).
MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical features of 47 patients with CP in the Sixth People's Hospital of Chengdu City from February 2008 to December 2011.
ResultsThere were 24 cases of biliary pancreatitis (51.1%), and 17 cases of alcoholic pancreatitis (36.2%). The clinical manifestations included abdominal pain in 40 patients (87.2%), diarrhea in 12 patients (25.5%), and diabetes mellitus in 13 patients (27.6%). Sixteen patients were diagnosed based on the ultrasonographic results (34.0%), 41 by computed tomography (CT) (87.2%), and 31 by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (88.6%). Plain abdominal radiograph showed that 9 patients had calcification, mainly composed of Ⅰ and Ⅱ classes (44.7% and 51.1%), followed by class Ⅳ and stage 3. Management for chronic pancreatitis included medical treatment (10 cases, 21.2%) and surgical treatment (13 case, 27.6%), endoscopic treatment (24 cases, 51.6%).
ConclusionThe causes of chronic pancreatitis are biliary and alcoholic factors. Medical, endoscopic and surgical procedures are involved to treat chronic pancreatitis, especially for the relief of intractable chronic abdominal pain.