Pancreas Flashcards
Chronic pancreatitis: Associations with pancreatic cancer.
Either one can cause the other; either one can mimic the other.
Chronic pancreatitis: Gross-pathology clues to alcoholic origin (2).
Pseudocyst.
Intraductal calculi.
Chronic pancreatitis: Possible confounding effects on islets of Langerhans (2).
Aggregations of islets may mimic neoplasm.
Islets may abut nerves.
Chronic pancreatitis: Helpful signs of benignity (2).
Preservation of lobular architecture.
No glands adjacent to muscular blood vessels.
Genes that predispose to chronic pancreatitis:
A. Names (2).
B. Other implications (2).
A. PRSS1, SPINK1.
B. Acute pancreatitis in childhood; pancreatic cancer.
Autoimmune pancreatitis: Histology (3).
Duct-centered lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate.
Interstitial fibrosis.
Venulitis.
Autoimmune pancreatitis: Treatment.
May respond to steroids.
Pancreatic pseudocyst: Outcomes (3).
Spontaneous resolution.
Infection.
Erosion into adjacent organs.
Pancreatic pseudocyst: Cytology (2).
Necrotic and hemorrhagic debris.
Hemosiderin-laden macrophages.
Pancreatic pseudocyst: Laboratory findings in cyst fluid.
Elevated amylase and CA19-9.
Lymphoepithelial cyst: Epidemiology.
M : F = 4 : 1.
Lymphoepithelial cyst: Gross pathology.
Thin wall; keratinous contents.
Lymphoepithelial cyst: Histopathology (2).
Lining composed of keratinized squamous epithelium.
Underlying lymphoid tissue.
Lymphoepithelial cyst: Main differential diagnosis.
Mature cystic teratoma also contains adnexal structures and sometimes cartilage.
Lymphoepithelial cyst: Clinical associations.
None demonstrated.
Serous cystic neoplasm: Epidemiology.
More common in women.
Serous cystic neoplasm: Association.
Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
Serous cystic neoplasm: Variants in gross pathology (4).
Microcystic.
Macrocystic.
Solid.
Association with well-differentiation neuroendocrine tumor.
Serous cystic neoplasm: Histopathology (3).
Lined by bland cells analogous to normal pancreatic serous cells.
Solid variant consists of the same type of cell.
Central scar (may be seen radiologically).
Serous cystic neoplasm: Special stain.
Positive for PAS, sensitive to diastase (contain glycogen).
Serous cystic neoplasm: Mutation.
Some tumors have a mutation involving VHL on chromosome 3p.
Serous cystic neoplasm: How to distinguish benign from malignant.
Serous cystadenocarcinoma: Extremely rare; diagnosed by its spread to other organs.
Mucinous cystic neoplasms: Epidemiology.
F : M = 20 : 1.
Mucinous cystic neoplasms: How many are malignant?
About one third.
Mucinous cystic neoplasms: Anatomic location (2).
Body or tail of pancreas.
No connection with the ductal system.
Mucinous cystic neoplasms: Histopathologic classification (4).
Noninvasive:
− Low-grade dysplasia.
− Intermediate-grade dysplasia.
− High-grade dysplasia.
Invasive: Cystadenocarcinoma.
Mucinous cystic neoplasm:
A. Stroma.
B. Cytokeratins (2).
A. Ovarian-like.
B. CK7 in most, CK20 in about ⅔.
Mucinous cystic neoplasms: Important gene.
Smad4/DPC4:
− Unmutated in most noninvasive tumors.
− Lost in about half of invasive tumors.
Mucinous cystic neoplasm: Other possibly mutated genes (3).
RNF43, KRAS2, TP53.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: Epidemiology.
Slightly more common in men.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: How many are invasive?
About one third.
Autoimmune pancreatitis: Helpful stains (2).
IHC for IgG4.
Elastin stain or Movat’s stain to demonstrate venulitis.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: Histopathologic classification.
Same as that of mucinous cystic neoplasm.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: Stroma.
Paucicellular.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: Invasive types (2).
Tubular (ductal).
Colloid (mucinous non-cystic): At least 80% of the tumor must have mucinous histology.