Autoimmune pancreatitis and treatment approaches with case reports

In this study, we aimed to review retrospectively the data of 10 patient who were treated and followed-up in our clinic and to review the current approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP).

We reviewed 10 patients retrospectively who were operated on and had the diagnosis of AIP histopathologically in the Ege University School of Medicine Department of General Surgery.

Between June 2001-November 2010, 10 patients who were diagnosed as AIP were examined retrospectively. Radiologically, a pancreatic mass was found in the pancreatic head with ultrasound in 7 (70%) of 10 patients and suspicious lesions were identified in the head of the pancreas in 3 (30%) patients. All patients were operated on in our clinic with the preliminary diagnosis of pancreatic head tumor; 8 patients underwent Whipple's procedure, 1 patient underwent pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, and in 1 patient an exploratory pancreatic biopsy (frozen section) was carried out.

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a disease with increasing incidence and characterized by lymphoplasmocytic cell infiltration and fibrosis. Patients with a pancreatic mass, if there is an autoimmune disease or chronic pancreatitis suspected in the detailed history, it is necessary to evaluate patients in terms of AIP serologically to protect the patients from an incoorectng diagnosis and morbidity of surgery.