Cystic form of paraduodenal pancreatitis (cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas (CDHP)): a potential link with minor papilla abnormalities? Eur Radiol. 2016;26:199-205. [PMID: 25991480 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-3799-8]

Systematic review on groove pancreatitis: management of a rare disease

BACKGROUND

Groove pancreatitis is a focal form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the area of the paraduodenal groove. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with groove pancreatitis.

METHODS

Medical literature databases (Embase, Medline via PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were systematically searched for data recorded between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2022 regarding patient characteristics, diagnosis, surgical treatment and outcomes. The following inclusion criteria were applied: RCTs, observational studies (cohort and case-control studies) and case studies with >3 cases including patients with groove pancreatitis undergoing medical, endoscopic or surgical treatment with available clinical and diagnostic data. Fisher's exact test for binary data and Mann-Whitney U test or Student t-test for continuous data were adopted for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Of 649 studies, 44 were included, involving reports on 1404 patients with a mean age of 49 years. In 41 of the 44 studies in which patient gender was described, 86 per cent (N = 1023) of patients were male. Information on the risk factors of alcohol and nicotine was available in 37 and 23 studies, respectively. Seventy-nine per cent (N = 886) of patients had a history of excessive alcohol consumption and 83 per cent (N = 595) were smokers. Information on clinical symptoms was available in 37 of the 44 included studies and 78.5 per cent (N = 870) presented with abdominal pain. Some 27 studies comprising 920 groove pancreatitis patients were treatment oriented. Seventy-four per cent (N = 682) of patients were treated conservatively, 26.4 per cent (N = 134) underwent endoscopic treatment and 54.7 per cent (N = 503) required surgery. There was complete relief of symptoms in 35.6 per cent (N = 243) after conservative treatment, 55.2 per cent (N = 74) after endoscopic treatment and 69.6 per cent (N = 350) after surgical treatment. The median follow-up time was 42 months (range, 1-161 months).

CONCLUSION

Groove pancreatitis shows on imaging a typical triad: cystic lesions in the pancreatic duct or duodenal wall, calcifications, and thickenings of the duodenal wall. Surgery appears to be the most effective treatment modality.

Cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas

Cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas, or paraduodenal pancreatitis, is a rare and complicated presentation involving heterotopic pancreatic tissue in the duodenal wall. This condition is present in 5% of the general population but disease mainly affects middle-aged alcoholic-smoking men with chronic pancreatitis (CP). It may be purely duodenal or segmental (pancreatico-duodenopathy). Its pathophysiology arises from alcohol toxicity with obstruction of small ducts of heterotopic pancreatic tissue present in the duodenal wall and the pancreatic-duodenal sulcus, leading to repeated episodes of pancreatitis. The symptomatology includes episodes of acute pancreatitis, weight loss, and vomiting due to duodenal obstruction. Imaging shows thickening of the wall of the second portion of the duodenum with multiple small cysts. A stepwise therapeutic approach is preferred. Conservative medical treatment is favored in first intention (analgesics, continuous enteral feeding, somatostatin analogues), which allows complete symptomatic regression in 57% of cases associated with a 5% rate of complications (arterial thrombosis and diabetes). Endoscopic treatment may also be associated with conservative measures. Surgery achieves a complete regression of symptoms in 79% of cases but with a 20% rate of complications. Surgery is indicated in case of therapeutic failure or in case of doubt about a malignant tumor. Pancreaticoduodenectomy and duodenal resection with pancreatic preservation (PPDR) seem to be the most effective treatments. PPDR has also been proposed as a first-line treatment for purely duodenal location of paraduodenal pancreatitis, thereby preventing progression to an extended segmental form.

Imaging of paraduodenal pancreatitis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Paraduodenal pancreatitis (PP) represents a diagnostic challenge, especially in non-referral centers, given its potential imaging overlap with pancreatic cancer. There are two main histological variants of PP, the cystic and the solid, with slightly different imaging appearances. Moreover, imaging findings in PP may change over time because of disease progression and/or as an effect of its risk factors exposition, namely alcohol intake and smoking.

AIM

To describe multimodality imaging findings in patients affected by PP to help clinicians in the differential diagnosis with pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

The systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses 2009 guidelines. A Literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library using (groove pancreatitis [Title/Abstract]) OR (PP [Title/Abstract]) as key words. A total of 593 articles were considered for inclusion. After eliminating duplicates, and title and abstract screening, 53 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Eligibility criteria were: Original studies including 8 or more patients, fully written in English, describing imaging findings in PP, with pathological confirmation or clinical-radiological follow-up as the gold standard. Finally, 14 studies were included in our systematic review.

RESULTS

Computed tomography (CT) findings were described in 292 patients, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in 231 and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) findings in 115. Duodenal wall thickening was observed in 88.8% of the cases: Detection rate was 96.5% at EUS, 91.0% at MRI and 84.1% at CT. Second duodenal portion increased enhancement was recognizable in 76.3% of the cases: Detection rate was 84.4% at MRI and 72.1% at CT. Cysts within the duodenal wall were detected in 82.6% of the cases: Detection rate was 94.4% at EUS, 81.9% at MRI and 75.7% at CT. A solid mass in the groove region was described in 40.9% of the cases; in 78.3% of the cases, it showed patchy enhancement in the portal venous phase, and in 100% appeared iso/hyperintense during delayed phase imaging. Only 3.6% of the lesions showed restricted diffusion. The prevalence of radiological signs of chronic obstructive pancreatitis, namely main pancreatic duct dilatation, pancreatic calcifications, and pancreatic cysts, was extremely variable in the different articles.

CONCLUSION

PP has peculiar imaging findings. MRI is the best radiological imaging modality for diagnosing PP, but EUS is more accurate than MRI in depicting duodenal wall alterations.

Early Prediction of Acute Biliary Pancreatitis Using Clinical and Abdominal CT Features

Background Assessment of the biliary origin of acute pancreatitis (AP) is crucial because it affects patient treatment to avoid recurrence. Although CT is systematically performed to determine severity in AP, its usefulness in assessing AP biliary origin has not been evaluated. Purpose To assess abdominal CT features associated with acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) and to evaluate the predictive value of a combination of CT and clinical data for determining a biliary origin in a first episode of AP. Materials and Methods From December 2014 to May 2019, all consecutive patients who presented with a first episode of AP and with at least 6 months of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Evidence of gallstones was mandatory for a clinical diagnosis of ABP. Abdominal CT images were reviewed by two abdominal radiologists. Univariable and multivariable statistical analyses were performed, and a nomogram was constructed on the basis of the combination of clinical and CT features. This nomogram was validated in a further independent internal cohort of patients. Results A total of 271 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 56 years ± 20; 160 men) were evaluated. Of these, 170 (63%) had ABP. At multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.09; P < .001), alanine aminotransferase level (OR, 1.00; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.01; P = .009), gallbladder gallstone (OR, 15.59; 95% CI: 4.61, 68.62; P < .001), choledochal ring sign (OR, 5.73; 95% CI: 2.11, 17.05; P < .001), liver spontaneous attenuation (OR, 1.07; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.11; P < .001), and duodenal thickening (OR, 0.17; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.61; P = .01) were independently associated with ABP. The matching nomogram combining both clinical and CT features displayed an area under the curve of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.97) in the study sample (n = 271) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.99) in the validation cohort (n = 51). Conclusion Abdominal CT provided useful features for diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP). Combining CT and clinical features in a nomogram showed good diagnostic performance for early diagnosis of ABP. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Chang in this issue.

Pancreas-preserving duodenal resections vs pancreatoduodenectomy for groove pancreatitis. Should we revisit treatment algorithm for groove pancreatitis?

BACKGROUND

The management of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall (CDDW), or groove pancreatitis (GP), remains controversial. Although pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is considered the most suitable operation for CDDW, pancreas-preserving duodenal resection (PPDR) has also been suggested as an alternative for the pure form of GP (isolated CDDW). There are no studies comparing PD and PPDR for this disease.

AIM

To compare the safety, efficacy, and short- and long-term results of PD and PPDR in patients with CDDW.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and intra- and postoperative data of 84 patients with CDDW (2004-2020) and a comparison of the safety and efficacy of PD and PPDR.

RESULTS

Symptoms included abdominal pain (100%), weight loss (76%), vomiting (30%) and jaundice (18%) and data from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endoUS led to the correct preoperative diagnosis in 98.8% of cases. Twelve patients were treated conservatively with pancreaticoenterostomy (n = 8), duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (n = 6), PD (n = 44) and PPDR (n = 15) without mortality. Weight gain was significantly higher after PD and PPDR and complete pain control was achieved significantly more often after PPDR (93%) and PD (84%) compared to the other treatment modalities (18%). New onset diabetes mellitus and severe exocrine insufficiency occurred after PD (31% and 14%), but not after PPDR.

CONCLUSION

PPDR has similar safety and better efficacy than PD in patients with CDDW and may be the optimal procedure for the isolated form of CDDW. The pure form of GP is a duodenal disease and PD may be an overtreatment for this disease. Early detection of CDDW provides an opportunity for pancreas-preserving surgery.

CT-Based Radiomics Analysis to Predict Malignancy in Patients with Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (IPMN) of the Pancreas

To assess the performance of CT-based radiomics analysis in differentiating benign from malignant intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMN), preoperative scans of 408 resected patients with IPMN were retrospectively analyzed. IPMNs were classified as benign (low-grade dysplasia, n = 181), or malignant (high grade, n = 128, and invasive, n = 99). Clinicobiological data were reported. Patients were divided into a training cohort (TC) of 296 patients and an external validation cohort (EVC) of 112 patients. After semi-automatic tumor segmentation, PyRadiomics was used to extract radiomics features. A multivariate model was developed using a logistic regression approach. In the training cohort, 85/107 radiomics features were significantly different between patients with benign and malignant IPMNs. Unsupervised clustering analysis revealed four distinct clusters of patients with similar radiomics features patterns with malignancy as the most significant association. The multivariate model differentiated benign from malignant tumors in TC with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.84, sensitivity (Se) of 0.82, specificity (Spe) of 0.74, and in EVC with an AUC of 0.71, Se of 0.69, Spe of 0.57. This large study confirms the high diagnostic performance of preoperative CT-based radiomics analysis to differentiate between benign from malignant IPMNs.

Pancreatitis in the developmentally anomalous pancreas

Developmental anomalies of the pancreas include more common entities such as pancreas divisum and annular pancreas, and unusual entities such as heterotopic pancreas. While these anomalies can present a diagnostic challenge to the radiologist, when the pancreatic tissue involved in these processes develops pancreatitis, the radiographic appearance can present a diagnostic dilemma. Awareness of these pancreatic anomalies and familiarity with their appearance when inflamed is necessary to distinguish pancreatitis in the developmentally anomalous pancreas from other inflammatory or neoplastic processes.

Groove Pancreatitis: Endoscopic Treatment via the Minor Papilla and Duct of Santorini Morphology

Background/Aims

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is an uncommon disease involving the pancreaticoduodenal area. Possible pathogenesis includes obstructive pancreatitis in the duct of Santorini and impaired communication with the duct of Wirsung, minor papilla stenosis, and leakage causing inflammation. Limited data regarding endoscopic treatment have been published.

Methods

Seven patients with GP receiving endoscopic treatment were reviewed. The morphology of the pancreatic duct was evaluated by a pancreatogram. Endoscopic dilation of the minor papilla and drainage of the duct of Santorini were performed.

Results

There were two pancreatic divisum cases, one ansa pancreatica case and four impaired connections between the duct of Santorini and the main pancreatic duct. Three to 31 sessions of endoscopy, with 2 to 24 sessions of transpapillary stenting and dilation, were performed. Interventions through the minor papilla were successfully performed in six of seven cases. The pancreatic stenting duration ranged from 2 to 87 months. Five patients with evidence of chronic pancreatitis (CP) tended to receive more endoscopic interventions than did the two patients without CP (2–24 vs 2, respectively) for GP and other complications associated with CP.

Conclusions

Disconnection or impairment of communication between the ducts of Santorini and Wirsung was observed in all cases of GP. No surgery was required, and endoscopic minor papilla dilation and drainage of the duct of Santorini were feasible for the treatment of GP.

Imaging of non-neoplastic duodenal diseases. A pictorial review with emphasis on MDCT

Abstract

A wide spectrum of abnormalities can affect the duodenum, ranging from congenital anomalies to traumatic and inflammatory entities. The location of the duodenum and its close relationship with other organs make it easy to miss or misinterpret duodenal abnormalities on cross-sectional imaging. Endoscopy has largely supplanted fluoroscopy for the assessment of the duodenal lumen. Cross-sectional imaging modalities, especially multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enable comprehensive assessment of the duodenum and surrounding viscera. Although overlapping imaging findings can make it difficult to differentiate between some lesions, characteristic features may suggest a specific diagnosis in some cases. Familiarity with pathologic conditions that can affect the duodenum and with the optimal MDCT and MRI techniques for studying them can help ensure diagnostic accuracy in duodenal diseases. The goal of this pictorial review is to illustrate the most common non-malignant duodenal processes. Special emphasis is placed on MDCT features and their endoscopic correlation as well as on avoiding the most common pitfalls in the evaluation of the duodenum.

Teaching points

• Cross-sectional imaging modalities enable comprehensive assessment of duodenum diseases.

• Causes of duodenal obstruction include intraluminal masses, inflammation and hematomas.

• Distinguishing between tumour and groove pancreatitis can be challenging by cross-sectional imaging.

• Infectious diseases of the duodenum are difficult to diagnose, as the findings are not specific.

• The most common cause of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding is peptic ulcer disease.

Ectopic pancreas in the upper gastrointestinal tract: Is endosonographic diagnosis reliable? Data from the German Endoscopic Ultrasound Registry and review of the literature

Background:

Ectopic pancreas (EP) belongs to the most frequent subepithelial lesions (SELs) of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the majority of cases, it is detected incidentally. Differential diagnosis from mesenchymal subepithelial tumors may be difficult.

Methods:

Among 24,308 endosonographic examinations and interventions, which were prospectively enrolled in the database of the German Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Registry from January 2009 to August 2013, 575 were performed for suspected SELs of the upper GI tract. Sixty three cases of EP of the upper GI tract (stomach, n = 53; duodenum, n = 10; esophagus, n = 0) were extracted and retrospectively reviewed.

Results:

In 65.1% of cases, radial echoendoscopes or radial miniprobes were used for examination. Nearly 84% of EP was found in the stomach, 16% in the duodenum, none in the esophagus. In 88.9% of cases, the EUS examination discerned the layer of origin. In 59% of cases EP was described as a heterogeneous, in 28.6% as a homogeneous-hypoechoic and in 7.9% as a homogeneous-echogenic subepithelial mass lesion. Mean diameter was 13.0 mm × 8.1 mm, the mean ratio between long and short axis diameter was 1.75. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was used to accomplish cytological or histological diagnosis in only 6.3% of cases.

Conclusions:

EP accounts for 11% of all EUS examinations performed for subepithelial lesions of the upper GI tract and prospectively enrolled in the German EUS registry. Rather than being an eyecatcher, EP is a chameleon with numerous differential diagnoses. In selected cases, EUS-FNA may help clarifying the diagnosis.

Mass-forming lesions of the duodenum: A pictorial review

Recent advances in imaging have resulted in marked changes in the investigation of the duodenum, which still remains primarily evaluated with videoendoscopy. However, improvements in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have made detection and characterization of duodenal mass-forming abnormalities easier. The goal of this pictorial review was to illustrate the most common conditions of the duodenum that present as mass-forming lesions with a specific emphasis on CT and MR imaging. MR imaging used in conjunction with duodenal distension appears as a second line imaging modality for the characterization of duodenal mass-forming lesions. CT remains the first line imaging modality for the detection and characterization of a wide range of duodenal mass-forming lesions.

Heterotopic pancreatic rests: imaging features, complications, and unifying concepts

OBJECTIVE

The spectrum of pancreatic heterotopia will be reviewed, including clinical features, potential complications, and imaging manifestations. This will also include a review of various entities associated with pancreatic heterotopia such as groove pancreatitis and cystic dystrophy of gastroduodenal heterotopic pancreas. These entities were previously thought of as distinct histopathologic entities but now appear to represent manifestations of pancreatic heterotopia.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic heterotopia and heterotopic pancreatitis can have a wide range of appearances. Several entities, which were previously thought to be distinct, can be considered manifestations of pancreatic heterotopia and heterotopic pancreatitis.

Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall in heterotopic pancreas: an atypical case in non-alcoholic female

Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall in heterotopic pancreas, recently described as paraduodenal pancreatitis, is a rare condition characterized by multiple cysts or pseudocysts located in the submucosa or muscularis propria of a thickened duodenal wall. They result from multiple episodes of obstruction of the small ducts in aberrant pancreatic islets. Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall in heterotopic pancreas usually affects alcoholic males, but here we present the case of a female without a history of alcohol abuse who was referred to our emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting. She was treated by a pancreas-preserving surgical approach, thanks to a proper pre-operative differential diagnosis. Even though differentiating this benign condition from pancreatic cancer is a challenge, some characteristic findings on multidetector CT scan and MRI/MR cholangiopancreatography, such as a thickened duodenal wall containing cysts and sheet-like tissues in the pancreaticoduodenal groove, could lead to the correct diagnosis.

[Diagnosis and treatment of duodenal dystrophy in patients with chronic pancreatitis]

AIM

to define optimal treatment of duodenal dystrophy in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

515 patients with chronic pancreatitis have been treated for the period 2004-2015 in A.V.Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery. Duodenal dystrophy (DD) was diagnosed in 79 (15.3%) of them. The diagnosis was confirmed by sonography, CT, MRI and endosonography. 5 patients are under observation without surgery. 74 patients were operated after previous medical therapy during 39 months on the average. Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 36 patients. Organ-sparing interventions were applied in 34 cases including different duodenal resections in 20 patients and pancreatic head resections in different modifications in 14 cases. 4 patients underwent palliative surgery. Chronic pancreatitis and DD were verified by morphological analysis of specimens. Long-term results were estimated in 47 patients. Median follow-up was 49.9 months.

RESULTS

X-ray diagnostics showed that DD was combined with chronic pancreatitis in 87.3% of cases while morphological analysis revealed 93.8%. Clinical signs of DD were caused by striated pancreatitis in 69.6% and ectopic pancreatic tissue in 30.4%. Clinical manifestations of DD did not depend on its cause and were presented by symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. Postoperative complications occurred in 25 (34.7%) patients. There were 33.5% of complications after pancreatoduodenectomy and 70% after duodenal resection. 1 patient died. Overall mortality was 1,3%. In long-term period complete regression of symptoms was observed in 66% of cases, significant improvement - in 32%, absence of the effect - in 2%.

CONCLUSION

Medical therapy should be preferred for patients with DD and chronic pancreatitis. Surgery is indicated in case of persistent pain, complicated course of chronic pancreatitis and duodenal obstruction. Pancreatoduodenectomy and pancreatic head resection are preferred.

Groove Pancreatitis: A Rare form of Chronic Pancreatitis

Context:

Groove pancreatitis is a rare form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the “groove” of the pancreas among the pancreatic head, duodenum, and common bile duct. The exact cause is unknown, although there are associations with long-term alcohol abuse, smoking, peptic ulcer disease, heterotopic pancreas, gastric resection, biliary disease, and anatomical or functional obstruction of the minor papilla. The diagnosis can be challenging. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography are the preferred imaging modalities. The treatment of choice is conservative although surgical intervention can sometimes be required.

Case Report:

A 57-year-old male with a history of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B presented with 4 days of epigastric pain. Abdominal exam revealed absent bowel sounds and epigastric tenderness. He had a creatinine of 1.72 mg/dL, potassium of 2.9 mmol/L, and a normal lipase level of 86 U/L. Liver enzymes and total bilirubin were normal. Computed tomography abdomen showed high-grade obstruction of the second portion of the duodenum without any obvious mass. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a mass at the duodenal bulb causing luminal narrowing, with biopsies negative for malignancy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the region of the pancreatic head and descending duodenum. EUS revealed a 3 cm mass in the region of pancreatic head with irregular borders and no vascular invasion. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) was nondiagnostic. The patient then underwent a Whipple's procedure. Pathology of these specimens was negative for malignancy but was consistent with para-duodenal or groove pancreatitis.

Conclusion:

The low incidence of groove pancreatitis is partly due to lack of familiarity with the disease. Groove pancreatitis should be considered in the differential for patients presenting with pancreatic head lesions and no cholestatic jaundice, especially when a duodenal obstruction is present, and neither duodenal biopsies nor pancreatic head FNA confirm adenocarcinoma.