Early chronic pancreatitis: a challenge not so far to be met

Chronic Pancreatitis in a Large Developing Country: Temporal Trends of Over 64,000 Hospitalizations from 2009 to 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive inflammatory disorder associated with marked morbidity and mortality and frequently requires hospitalization. This study aimed to investigate the time trends and geographical distribution of hospital admissions, the lethality rate of CP across Brazil, and the potential relationship with social indicators and associated risk factors.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively obtained from the Brazilian Public Health System Registry between January 2009 and December 2019. The prevalence and lethality rates of CP per 100,000 inhabitants in each municipality were estimated from hospitalizations to in-hospital deaths and classified by age, sex, and demographic features.

RESULTS

During the study period, 64,609 admissions were retrieved, and most of the patients were males (63.54%). Hospitalization decreased by nearly half (-54.68%) in both sexes. CP rates in males were higher in all age groups. The greatest reduction in admissions (- 64%) was also noted in patients ≥ 70y. CP In-hospital lethality remained stable (5-6%) and similar for males and females. Patients ≥ 70y showed the highest lethality. The greatest increase in CP lethality rates (+ 10%) was observed in municipalities integrated into metropolises, which was mainly driven by small-sized municipalities (+ 124%).

CONCLUSIONS

CP hospitalizations decrease in both urban and rural areas, particularly in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions, and in those above 70 years of age, but are not correlated with lethality rates in the South. This suggests ongoing changes in the environmental and socioeconomic factors in Brazil.

Early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is one of the most challenging disorders from the perspective of its early diagnosis and effective treatment. Within the last decade, the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis has been firmly introduced into the practice of gastroenterology. The delineation of this form as an initial stage of chronic pancreatitis is based on the need in early and effective treatment that could cease the progression of the disease and reduce the possibility of its complications. The diagnostic criteria of chronic pancreatitis have been described in details in the literature; however, specifics of the diagnosis in its early stage have been scarcely highlighted. Chronic pancreatitis is commonly diagnosed with a number of imaging techniques (they can show abnormalities in morphology of the pancreas), as well as laboratory tests (showing functional organ deficit). However, morphological and imaging techniques are insufficient for the diagnosis of the early chronic pancreatitis. A new integral strategy towards early diagnosis seems necessary, that would consider not only the morphology, but also potential etiology, risk factors of the disease and its complications in patients with suspected chronic pancreatitis. The review of the literature presents the definition of the early pancreatitis and discusses the potential of imaging techniques and functional tests in its diagnosis. An adequate strategy for the diagnosis of the early pancreatitis is formulated, based on an individual patient characteristic with suspected early chronic pancreatitis, namely, risk factors, clinical manifestations, imaging results and serological biomarkers.

Differential EUS findings in focal type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer: A proof-of-concept study

Background and Objectives:

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) often mimics pancreatic cancer (PC), particularly if presenting as a focal lesion. EUS may orient the differential diagnosis between them. This study aims to identify EUS findings that might be useful to differentiate type 1 focal autoimmune pancreatitis (f-AIP1) and PC.

Materials and Methods:

F-AIP1 and PC patients were retrospectively collected, matched, and compared. EUS findings considered were: focal mass echogenicity, loss of lobularity, distal atrophy, peripancreatic hypoechoic margins (PHM), pancreatic duct dilation, duct-penetrating sign (DPS), pancreatic/common bile duct thickened walls (PD/CBD-TW), and vessel infiltration (VI). Elastography findings were also recorded. Variables with a P < 0.05 at univariate analysis were included in logistic multiple regression.

Results:

Fifteen patients with f-AIP and 60 with PC were studied. FE was hypoechoic in all patients from both groups. PHM was observed in 40% of f-AIP1 cases but not in PC ones (P < 0.001). DPS was found in 10/15 (66.7%) f-AIP1 and in 7/60 (11.7%) PC patients (P < 0.001). PD-TW and CBD-TW were observed in 66.7%/60% f-AIP1 cases and in 6.7%/13.6% PC patients, respectively (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Pancreatic masses were significantly different at EUS elastography (elastic respectively in 71.4% f-AIP1 and 3.8% PC, P < 0.001). VI was suspected in 20% of f-AIPs and 85% of PCs (P < 0.001). At multiple regression, PD-TW, CBD-TW, elastic pattern, and the absence of VI independently supported a diagnosis of f-AIP1.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that EUS findings deserve consideration in the diagnostic workup of AIP to improve the differential diagnosis with PC.