Clinical outcomes and prevalence of cancer in patients with possible groove pancreatitis

Diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasound in groove pancreatitis

Aim: Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a rare type of chronic pancreatitis characterized by varying degrees of thickening and scarring of the duodenal wall, duodenal lumen stenosis, mucosal hypertrophy with plicae and cyst formation. GP is primarily observed in middle-aged male patients with a history of alcohol consumption. Clinical symptoms are usually non-specific, and there is currently no unified diagnostic standard. However, imaging methods, particularly endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), are useful for diagnosis. EUS-guided biopsy can provide a strong basis for the final diagnosis. This review summarizes the value of EUS and its derivative technologies in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of GP.Methods: After searching in PubMed and Web of Science databases using 'groove pancreatitis (GP)' and 'endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)' as keywords, studies related were compiled and examined.Results: EUS and its derivative technologies are of great significance in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of GP, but there are still limitations that need to be comprehensively applied with other diagnostic methods to obtain the most accurate results.Conclusion: EUS has unique value in both the diagnosis and treatment of GP. Clinicians need to be well-versed in the advantages and limitations of EUS for GP diagnosis to select the most suitable imaging diagnostic method for different cases and to reduce the unnecessary waste of medical resources.

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.

Groove Pancreatitis-Tumor-like Lesion of the Pancreas

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is an uncommon appearance of pancreatitis represented by fibrous inflammation and a pseudo-tumor in the area over the head of the pancreas. The underlying etiology is unidentified but is firmly associated with alcohol abuse. We report the case of a 45-year-old male patient with chronic alcohol abuse who was admitted to our hospital with upper abdominal pain radiating to the back and weight loss. Laboratory data were within normal limits, except for the level of carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9. An abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed swelling of the pancreatic head and duodenal wall thickening with luminal narrowing. We performed an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration (FNA) from the markedly thickened duodenal wall and the groove area, which revealed only inflammatory changes. The patient improved and was discharged. The principal objective in managing GP is to exclude a diagnosis of malignancy, whilst a conservative approach might be more acceptable for patients instead of extensive surgery.

Diagnosis, natural course and treatment outcomes of groove pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a rare form of chronic pancreatitis with limited data on its diagnostics and treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess its diagnostics, natural course, and treatment options.

METHODS

The study is a retrospective population-based study from Southern Finland, including all patients with suspected GP between January 2005 and December 2015. Two certified gastrointestinal radiologists re-reviewed the imaging studies. The radiological re-review, clinical judgment, and final histopathology confirmed the GP diagnoses.

RESULTS

Out of 67 patients with possible GP, 39 patients were considered to have high radiological certainty of GP. Out of these 39, five patients had cancer instead. Thirty-three patients with confirmed GP formed the final study cohort. Patients with GP were mostly middle-aged (median 55 years) men. All had at least moderate alcohol consumption. No intervention was needed in 14 patients. In five-year follow-up all conservatively treated patients became asymptomatic, while 10 out of 16 patients undergoing at least one intervention were asymptomatic at five years.

CONCLUSION

The radiological diagnosis of GP is difficult, and a low threshold for cancer suspicion should be kept. Symptoms of GP decrease with time and suggest conservative treatment as the first-line option.

Pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer: A case of the chicken or the egg

Acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic cancer are three distinct pancreatic diseases with different prognoses and treatment options. However, it may be difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant disease. AP may be a first symptom of pancreatic cancer, particularly in patients between the ages of 56 and 75 with presumed idiopathic AP who had a concomitant diagnosis of new-onset diabetes mellitus or patients who present with CP at diagnosis of AP. In these patients, additional imaging is warranted, preferably by endoscopic ultrasonography. CP may lead to pancreatic cancer through oncogenic mutations, mostly in patients with hereditary CP, and in patients in whom risk factors for pancreatic cancer (e.g., nicotine and alcohol abuse) are also present. Patients with PRSS1-mediated CP and patients with a history of autosomal dominant hereditary CP without known genetic mutations may be considered for surveillance for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic inflammation may mimic pancreatic cancer by appearing as a focal mass-forming lesion on imaging. Differentiation between the above mentioned benign and malignant disease may be facilitated by specific features like the duct-penetrating sign and the duct-to-parenchyma ratio. Research efforts are aimed towards developing a superior discriminant between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in the form of imaging modalities or biomarkers. This may aid clinicians in timely diagnosing pancreatic cancer in a potentially curable stage.

Acute pancreatitis associated with duodenal obstruction induced by groove pancreatitis: A case report

RATIONALE

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a rare form of chronic pancreatitis. Since GP presents with nonspecific symptoms, it can be challenging to diagnose. Duodenal obstruction is often caused by malignant diseases; however, when associated with acute pancreatitis, it is rarely induced by groove pancreatitis.

PATIENTS CONCERNS

A 56-year-old man who presented with acute pancreatitis complained of recurrent upper abdominal discomfort. His concomitant symptoms included abdominal pain, postprandial nausea, and vomiting. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed thickening of the duodenum wall. Gastrointestinal radiographs and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an obstruction of the descending duodenum.

DIAGNOSIS

The pathologic diagnosis was groove pancreatitis.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent gastrojejunostomy to relieve the obstruction.

OUTCOMES

The patient had an uneventful recovery with no complications.

LESSONS

Groove pancreatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute pancreatitis and duodenal obstruction. These data can help to make a precise diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

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.

Outcomes After Conservative, Endoscopic, and Surgical Treatment of Groove Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a focal form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the paraduodenal groove area, for which consensus on diagnosis and management is lacking.

GOALS

We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine patient characteristics and imaging features of GP and to evaluate clinical outcomes after treatment.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included reporting on 335 GP patients with a median age of 47 years (range, 34 to 64 y), with 90% male, 87% smokers, and 87% alcohol consumption, and 47 months (range, 15 to 122 mo) of follow-up. Most patients presented with abdominal pain (91%) and/or weight loss (78%). Imaging frequently showed cystic lesions (91%) and duodenal stenosis (60%).Final treatment was conservative (eg, pain medication) in 29% of patients. Endoscopic treatment (eg, pseudocyst drainage) was applied in 19% of patients-34% of these patients were subsequently referred for surgery. Overall, 59% of patients were treated surgically (eg, pancreatoduodenectomy). Complete symptom relief was observed in 50% of patients who were treated conservatively, 57% who underwent endoscopic treatment, and 79% who underwent surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

GP is associated with male gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The vast majority of patients presents with abdominal pain and with cystic lesions on imaging. Although surgical treatment seems to be the most effective, both conservative and endoscopic treatment are successful in about half of patients. A stepwise treatment algorithm starting with the least invasive treatment options seems advisable.