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Pancreatitis Secondary to Anti-Programmed Death Receptor 1 Immunotherapy Diagnosed by FDG PET/CT
Yazan Z Alabed1, Ayaz Aghayev, Christopher Sakellis
1From the Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
A 57-year-old man with metastatic melanoma developed colitis secondary to ipilimumab, a known immune-related adverse event (irAE). The patient then received pembrolizumab immunotherapy, an anti-programmed-death-receptor-1 (PD-1) antibody. Restaging FDG PET/CT study following 3 cycles of therapy demonstrated diffuse increased FDG uptake throughout the body of the pancreas associated with fat stranding in the peripancreatic region, suggestive of pembrolizumab-induced pancreatitis. Although the patient was clinically asymptomatic, diagnosis was biochemically confirmed with elevated amylase and lipase levels. In the era of immunotherapy, it will be critical to recognize irAEs early to allow prompt initiation of appropriate therapy and reduce the risk of long-term sequelae.
A 57-year-old man with metastatic melanoma developed colitis secondary to ipilimumab, a known immune-related adverse event (irAE). The patient then received pembrolizumab immunotherapy, an anti-programmed-death-receptor-1 (PD-1) antibody. Restaging FDG PET/CT study following 3 cycles of therapy demonstrated diffuse increased FDG uptake throughout the body of the pancreas associated with fat stranding in the peripancreatic region, suggestive of pembrolizumab-induced pancreatitis. Although the patient was clinically asymptomatic, diagnosis was biochemically confirmed with elevated amylase and lipase levels. In the era of immunotherapy, it will be critical to recognize irAEs early to allow prompt initiation of appropriate therapy and reduce the risk of long-term sequelae.
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Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...