Pancreas Pathology Flashcards
agenesis/aplasia
pancreas does not develop
hypoplasia
underdeveloped pancreas
occurs in calves
variation in duct disposition
anatomical variations in ducts
occurs in dogs
annular pancreas
ring of pancreatic tissue surrounds the descending duodenum
occurs in dogs and pigs
congenital stenosis or cystic dilation of the pancreatic duct
narrowing/widening of pancreatic duct
ectopic/accessory pancreatic tissue
pancreatic tissue in places it shouldn’t be
necrotizing pancreatitis
necrosis + inflammation of the pancreas
often seen together
species affected: necrotizing pancreatitis
dogs, cats, pigs, birds
predispositions for necrotizing pancreatitis
obesity
age (middle-old)
female
hyperadrenocorticism
hypothyroidism
hypercalcemia
uremia
lethality of necrotizing pancreatitis
high
outcome of necrotizing pancreatitis
DIC
feline triaditis - IBD, cholangitis, pancreatitis
causes of necrotizing pancreatitis
- idiopathic (obesity, Cushings)
- nutrition (high fat diet)
- toxic
- ischemia
- obstruction
- infectious
toxic causes
- mycotoxins
- selenium
- zinc
- cassia occidentalis
- anticholinesterases (insecticides)
- corticosteroids/chemotherapy
zinc toxicity
mainly occurs in birds (new cage disease) and sheep
histology: vacuolation, cell swelling (acute), fibrosis and atrophy (chronic)
obstruction causes
blockage of the ducts by parasites, calculi (duct pancreatolithiasis), tumors, duct metaplasia
infectious causes
- viral: Newcastle disease (chickens)
- fungi: zygomycetes, cryptococcus
- parasites: flukes, stephanurus dentatus
- bacterial
pathogenesis of necrotizing pancreatitis
- necrosis of fat surrounding the pancreas (peripancreatic mesenteric adipose tissue)
- necrosis of marginal acinar cells –> enzyme leakage –> autodigestion
- necrosis of peripheral lobules
- necrosis of duct system and centrilobular parenchyma
acute necrotizing pancreatitis
yellow fat necrosis, necrosis invading the parenchyma
neutrophilic infiltration
chronic necrotizing pancreatitis
fibrosis
systemic effects of pancreatitis
- inflammation
- DIC
- shock
- cardiopulmonary dysfunction
- peritonitis
diagnosing pancreatitis
nonspecific tests: clinical signs, CBC, chemistry
specific: TLI, specCPL/FPL
imaging: ultrasound
laparotomy/laparoscopy/biopsy
exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; EPI
pancreas is not producing enough exocrine products
causes of EPI
- canine pancreatic acinar atrophy of juvenile onset
- chronic recurrent pancreatitis
- neoplasia
- duct obstruction
clinical signs of EPI
- voluminous foul smelling steatorrhea
- severe weight loss
- increased appetite
histology of EPI
most tissue is gone and replaces with fibrous tissue
nodular hyperplasia
developmental condition where normal pancreatic cells cannot control division
causes nodules of normal pancreatic cells to form
common in dogs
appears as nodules on histology but with normal acini inside
pancreatic carcinoma
malignant epithelial cell cancer in the pancreas
- invades beyond the pancreas
histology: loss of normal anatomy; too many acinar cells per acinus, disorganized
carcinomatosis
carcinoma that expands outward instead of metastasizing
