Association between autoimmune pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer: a case after long-term steroid therapy.
Ryogo Minami, Jun Nakahodo, Shinichiro Horiguchi et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 71-year-old man with autoimmune pancreatitis, diagnosed from elevated serum IgG4 and characteristic imaging, remained in remission during a 7-year course of steroid therapy. One month after completing treatment, positron emission tomography showed a pancreatic tail mass, raising concern for either relapse or pancreatic cancer. Histopathology confirmed adenocarcinoma. He underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection, which was reported as successful.
What made this case unusual
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma was detected shortly after completion of prolonged steroid therapy while the autoimmune pancreatitis had remained in remission, and imaging alone left relapse and cancer as competing diagnoses.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
A new pancreatic mass in a patient with autoimmune pancreatitis may represent cancer rather than disease relapse; imaging findings may require histopathological confirmation.
Why it matters
The report underscores the authors’ call for vigilant, long-term surveillance after autoimmune pancreatitis, including during prolonged remission.