Non-alcoholic duct-destructive chronic pancreatitis: Recognition before definitive treatment

Non-alcoholic duct-destructive chronic pancreatitis is a new entity that di ffers morphologically and pathogenetically from alcoholic chronic pancreati tis. Some clinical and imaging features of this entity resemble those of pa ncreatic cancer, and hence most of the reported cases underwent pancreatic resections including an invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy. Recognition of th is new entity before a definitive treatment is therefore important to avoid an unnecessary pancreatic resection. Recently, we experienced a case of no n-alcoholic duct-destructive chronic pancreatitis in an 80-year-old man pre senting with obstructive jaundice and whose radiologic features were charac teristic as originally described. Recognition of this new entity before def initive treatment enabled us to manage this patient optimally. In addition, the relation between non-alcoholic duct-destructive chronic pancreatitis a nd chronic pancreatitis with diffuse irregular narrowing of the main pancre atic duct is discussed.