Pancreas 2 Flashcards
Chronic pancreatitis is repeated episodes of acute inflammation leading to what 2 things?
permanent structural damage and ductal obstruction
Chronic pancreatitis:
Gradual loss of pancreatic function leads to what 2 things?
- Exocrine insufficiency (malabsorption, steatorrhea,etc)
- Endocrine insufficiency (No insulin, DM)
What is the MCC of chronic pancreatitis
Alcohol
Clinical presentation of what?
- Epigastric pain (episodic or continuous)
- Aggravated by alcohol and fatty meals
- Steatorrhea
- Weight loss
- Diabetes sxs- polyuria, polydipsia, etc
- Pancreatic calcifications
Chronic pancreatitis
Which two cells are effected in Diabetes caused by chronic pancreatitis
Brittle DM- alpha and beta cells affected
What is the classic triad of chronic pancreatitis?
- Diabetes (endocrine dysfunction)
- Steattorhea (exocrine dysfunction- not making insulin)
Pancreatic calcifications
What is often seen on labs for chronic pancreatitis? (normal, elevated or decreased)
Amylase and lipase: ____
Bilirubin and alk phos: ____
Glucose: _____
Fecal Fat testing: ____
Amylase and lipase: normal or slightly increased
Bilirubin and alk phos: +/- mild elevation
Glucose: Elevated
Fecal Fat testing: Elevated
What 3 things can an abdominal CT be helpful in looking for in Chronic pancreatitis
- calcifications
- Ductal Dilation
- Pseudocysts
What is the gold standard for chronic pancreatitis and what will it show?
ERCP
will show “chain-of-lakes”
(however, this is more invasive and is used less often)
What are the 6 complonents of chronic pancreatitis management?
- Abstinence from alcohol
- small, low fat meals
- Early identification of complications (change in symptom pattern)
- Insulin for diabetes
5. Pancreatic enzyme supplements
6. +/- pain relief: Amitryplyline or SSRI (careful with narcotics due to increased risk of substance abuse), etc
What are the options for pain relief in chronic pancreatitis (5)
- Start w/ panc enzyme supplements
- Consider Amitriptyline or SSRI
- Careful with narcotics (long acting MS contin vs Fentanyl patch)
- Endoscopic ductal dilation or stenting
- Nerve blocks
- Surgical resection if cancer or failed other treatments
What is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the US?
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic carcinoma:
Majority of tumors are in the _____ of the pancreas
head
The majority of pancreatic carcinomas are what type of carcinoma?
adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic carcinoma:
_____% of cysts are neoplasms
15%