Pancreas Flashcards
How much of the pancreas is exocrine and how much is endocrine?
Exocrine = 98% Endocrine = 2%
Which 2 cells are exocrine?
Acinar cells
Ductal cells
What 2 products have an endocrine function?
Insulin
Glucagon
What is a major difference between dogs and cats with respect to their pancreatic ducts?
Dogs have two ducts into duodenum
Cats have one duct that joins the bile duct
What are 4 major exocrine functions of the pancreas?
Macronutrient digestion
Neutralise duodenum
B12 absorption
Regulate SI flora
How are the digestive enzymes stored to prevent autodigestion?
Inactive zymogen granules
How do the zymogen granules become activated?
By other lysosomal enzymes ONLY in SI
What hydrolizes itself?
Trypsin
What does plasma protease inhibitor inhibit?
Trypsin
What does plasma alpha-macroglobulin bind and why?
Binds proteases to enable macrophage uptake
What stimulates secretin release?
Gastric acid
What 2 things stimulate gastrin release?
Vagal stimulation
Protein digestion
What stimulates gastric acid release?
Gastric stretch
What stimulates CCK release?
Amino Acids and Fatty Acids in SI
What is acute pancreatitis?
Necrosis, edema and neutrophilic infiltrate
How does acute pancreatitis occur?
Activated enxymes released into local tissue causing inflammation, neutrophil migration and a cytokine storm
Basically autodigestion
What are 3 results of acute pancreatitis?
Local inflammation and necrosis
Systemic dissemination of activated enzymes
Systemic inflammatory response
T/F: Damage from acute pancreatitis is not reversible.
False, it IS reversible
What is the cause of pancreatitis?
Usually unknown
What are 4 general predisposing factors for pancreatitis?
Fat animal
High fat diet
Malnutrition
Hyperlipidemia (Schnauzers)
What are 2 predisposing factors for pancreatitis in cats?
Duct obstruction
Duodenal reflux
What is the typical signalment of a dog presenting with pancreatitis?
Small breed, overweight, middle-age females, exposed to high fat diet (either continuous OR in last 5-7 days)
What is the typical signalment of a cat presenting with pancreatitis?
Underweight, elderly, malnourished
What else might you see in the canine signalment of a pancreatitis case?
Post-ischemia - canine babesiosis
Know dog was previously ill.
What are the clinical signs of pancreatitis?
Depression Anorexia V&D Prayer position (acute abdomen) Dever Shock and collapse Coagulopathy (if we get here, need to know things are looking bad, consider quality of life)
What does our hemogram look like with pancreatitis?
Left shift neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia
What else will we find on our blood chem?
Hyperlipidemia Increased amylase and lipase Increased canine pancreatic lipase immunoassay (cPLI) Increased liver enzymes Hyper- or hypoglycemia
What is the reason for using imaging in cases of suspect pancreatitis?
To make sure there is not some other primary cause
What is important to remember about amylase and lipase with regard to pancreatitis?
Both may increase, BUT they’re not specific to pancreas
Can be normal in acute pancreatitis (not sensitive)
Can be abnormal in other diseases (not specific)
What is the gold standard for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?
Trypsin-like Immunoreactivity (TLI)
NOTE: Species specific
Why is a TLI not a very good screening test for acute pancreatitis?
It’s not very sensitive (33%) because has a short half-life so TLI has already returned to normal.
What is TLI better for, screening or confirming?
Confirming (~70% specific)
What is a good screening test for pancreatitis?
Canine pancreatic lipase (SNAP PLI)
Sensitivity is 91%
What should you do with the results of your SNAP PLI?
If negative, not likely to have acute pancreatitis
If positive, send away for quantitative test (Spec PLI)
What is a Spec PLI?
Quantitative test, ~95% specific (dogs)
How do you interpret the results of a Spec PLI?
400ug/L = positive (abnormal)
What is it very important to do when your SNAP and Spec PLI and positive?
Check if acute pancretitis is the main cause of clinical signs
What are 3 radiographics signs of peritonitis?
Loss of contrast
Gastric-duodenal angle widening
Gastric displacement
What do you need to remember about RADs in pancreatitis?
Not sensitive or specific test
Even though it’s not sensitive or specific, why is it still imporant to do abdominal RADs in a case of acute abdomen?
Rule out other causes of acute abdoment
What is a Murphy sign?
Pain in the cranial abdomen.
NOTE: Usually consistent with acute pancreatitis
What 3 signs might you see on abdominal US?
Hypoechoic pancreas (edema)
Enlarged pancreas
Hyperechoic peri-pancreatic fat (saponification)
Roughly how sensitive is US in screening for pancreatitis?
~68% sensitives
What is the gold standard for diagnosing acute pancreatitis?
Biopsy
What is important to remember when taking pancreas biopsies?
Pathology is unevenly distributed
Why are pancreas biopsies rarely collected in acute dz?
Anesthetic risk and biopsy risk
When should you consider gathering a pancreas biopsy?
If otherwise performing surgery
In cats, we biopsy commonly, what extra do we do in this case?
Take biopsies of liver and GI as well (triaditis)
What is the most diagnostic combo of tests for acute pancreatitis?
Abdominal US and SNAP or spec
How do you treat acute pancreatitis?
Remove inciting cause if possible, support (IV fluids)
NO DEFINITIVE TREATMENT
What can help minimize the patients hospital stay?
Aggressive treatment with LRS
What electrolyte are a lot of the acute pancreatitis dogs deficient in?
Potassium, supplement with KCl
If you have a marked hypoalbuminemia, what colloids are the best choice?
Hetastarch/synthetic colloids because they stay around for days (vs. plasma products)
What is your first choice analgesic for acute pancreatitis?
Buprenorphine/methadone
Why should you not use morphine in acute pancreatitis?
Can aggravate bile duct and pancreatic duct obstruction
Why should you avoid NSAIDs in acute pancreatitis?
Animals are already hypovolemic and hypotensive, since NSAIDs inhibit Prostaglanding E, we can get colitis and gastric ulcers.
What 3 medications can you give as an anti-emetic in acute pancreatitis?
Maropitant (Anti-emetic and analgesic)
Metoclopramide (Anti-emetic and prokinetic)
Ondansetron (Anti-emetic and prokinetic)