The benefits of diagnostic ERCP in autoimmune pancreatitis.

摘要

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a puzzling disease. Although its cardinal features were first reported in Europe, it seemed, for a long time an Asian phenomenon which many Western clinicians felt they could largely ignore. As more case series were reported from Europe and America it became increasingly clear that AIP affects patients from many ethnic backgrounds. AIP shares features with two other disorders of the pancreas from which a distinction is critical and determines appropriate treatment. The first is chronic pancreatitis of either the environmentally induced (alcohol, tobacco smoke) or the hereditary variety. The most important difference in terms of treatment, prognosis and, to a lesser degree, diagnosis is that AIP rapidly responds to the administration of steroids and other varieties of pancreatitis do not.