CHARACTERISTIC PANCREATIC DUCT APPEARANCE IN AUTOIMMUNE CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS - A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE JAPANESE LITERATURE

We report a case demonstrating the progressive narrowing of the pancre atic duct, which is presumed to be characteristic of autoimmune pancre atitis, and we review the 37 cases of chronic pancreatitis in which au toimmunity was suggested as an etiological factor in the Japanese lite rature, A 55-year old man presented with abdominal discomfort, jaundic e, and diffuse swelling of the pancreas on ultrasonography. Serial end oscopic retrograde pancreatography demonstrated the progression of an irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct forming diffusely over the course of 2 months, Because the patient had hyperglobulinemia and rested positive for autoantibodies, he was diagnosed as a case of aut oimmune chronic pancreatitis, Steroid therapy was carried out with exc ellent success, (C) 1998 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology.