Focal changes of chronic pancreatitis and duct-arteriovenous relationships: avoiding a diagnostic pitfall

A prior study of pancreatic duct-arteriovenous relationships suggested that finding ducts near muscularized blood vessels without intervening pancreatic acini indicated adenocarcinoma was present. Because focal changes of chronic pancreatitis are often seen at autopsy, it seemed reasonable to use the autopsy to test the hypothesis that this finding might be nonspecific. An unselected, consecutive series of 81 adult decedent pancreases without known pancreas cancer was evaluated for the presence of ducts near muscularized blood vessels, for fibrosis and/or atrophy, for chronic inflammation, and for duct reduplication and/or proliferation. Autolysis precluded assessment of 26% of the cases. Of evaluable cases, 37% displayed ducts near muscularized blood vessels without intervening pancreatic acini, 23% chronic inflammation, 62% fibrosis and/or atrophy, and 55% duct reduplication and/or proliferation. The finding of ducts near muscularized blood vessels was closely associated with fibrosis and/or atrophy (odds ratio = 28.87, chi = 14.59, P = 0.0001), with duct reduplication and/or proliferation (odds ratio = 19.23, chi = 15.88, P = 0.0001), but not with chronic inflammation (odds ratio = 1.41, chi = 0.05, P > 0.30). Because changes of chronic pancreatitis are associated with ducts near muscularized blood vessels and because chronic pancreatitis can mimic pancreas cancer, care should be exercised when using the finding of ducts near muscularized blood vessels without intervening pancreatic acini as a criterion for the diagnosis of pancreas cancer.