The diagnostic criteria for autoimmune chronic pancreatitis: it is time to make a consensus

Autoimmune chronic pancreatitis (AIP) is increasingly being recognized as a worldwide entity. In 2002, the Japan Pancreas Society published diagnostic criteria for AIP. Since then, increased attention toward this relatively new disease entity has enabled more cases of AIP to be correctly diagnosed, allowing for proper management and avoidance of surgery. Retrospective inclusion of previously unrecognized or misdiagnosed cases of AIP has revealed an increasing number of cases that are not in full accordance with the Japanese diagnostic criteria. As a result, some groups have developed and cited their own criteria in the reporting of AIP, and the Japan Pancreas Society criteria have also undergone revision recently. The absence of consistent and uniform criteria has made the comparison of different cases diagnosed under various guidelines difficult. In this review, we discuss and compare the 4 current diagnostic criteria, focusing on their own strength and weakness with the aim of providing a framework for the development of unified criteria that represent an international consensus.