Question | Answer |
the pancreas lies in the __ space | retroperitoneal |
functional unit of the pancreas | pancreatic acinus |
duct cells make | bicarbonate |
acinar cells make | pancreatic enzymes that are active and inactive |
amylase digests | carbohydrates |
lipase digests | triglycerides |
peptidase digests | proteins |
nuclease digests | nucleic |
toxins that may cause pancreatitis | alcohol, methyl alcohol, scorpion sting |
edocrine cells of the pancreas | alpha, beta cells |
alpha cells secrete | glucagon |
beta cells secrete | insulin |
clinical syndrome defined by enzymatic damage to the pancreas resulting in discrete episodes of abdominal pain and elevation in serum amylase and lipase | acute pancreatitis |
key even in acute pancreatitis | inappropriate activation of trypsinogen to trypsin within the pancreas |
sever pancreatitis with necrosis of parenchyma and blood vessels | acute necrotizing pancreatitis |
elevated amylase or lipase in the absence of clinical signs of pancreatitis is | not pancreatitis |
most common cause of pancreatitis, occurs more often in females | gallstones |
medication causes of pancreatitis | furosemide/thiazides, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, sulfa drugs, ACE inhibitors, HIV meds |
infectious causes of pancreatitis | mumps, rubella, coxsackie virus, echovirus, EBV, HIV |
classic symptoms of pancreatitis | constant, epigastric pain radiating to back, usually associated with n/v |
flank ecchymosis from retroperitoneal hemorrhage, seen in acute necrotizing pancreatitis | Gray Turner's sign |
periumbilical ecchymosis, seen in acute necrotizing pancreatitis | Cullen's sign |
45% from pancreas, 55% salivary, not specific | elevated amylase |
more specific for pancreas, stays elevated longer | elevated lipase |
imaging modality of choice for complicated disease | CT scan |
endoscopically evaluate biliary tree and pancreatic duct. can intervene with stents, ductal dilation, do brushings | ERCP (edoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram) |
treatment for pancreatitis | pancreatic rest (NPO), IVF, pain meds |
treatment fo fluid collection in pancreatic capsule | no treatment needed |
treatment for pancreatic necrosis (sterile) | prophylactic antibiotics (imipenem)X14 days |
treatment for pancreatic necrosis (infected) | antiobiotics and surgical debridement |
collection of pancreatic juice ecased by granulation tissue that persists at least 4 weeks after episode of acute pancreatitis | pseudocyst |
most common cause of chronic pancreatitis | alcohol use |
genetic pancreatitis comes from which genes | PRSS1(hereditary), SPINK1, CFTR |
steatorrhea is due to | pancreatic exocrine insufficiency resulting in fat malabsorption |
test which can detect onset of chronic pancreatitis | there is no such test |
treatment for chronic pancreatitis | abstinence from alcohol, pain (enzyme replacement , narcotics, ERCP, sphlanchnic nerve block), insulin for diabetes |
lateral pancreatojejunostomy, option if duct is dilated >6mm | peustow procedure |
patients who undergo total pancreatectomy usually become | very brittle diabetics |
pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the __ leading cause of cancer related deaths | fourth |
mean age of onset of pancreatic adenocarcinoma | 70-80 |
screeing tool for pancreatic adenocarcinoma | non available |
is associated with migratory thrombophlebitis | Trousseau's sign |
palpable GB due to head mass compressing CBD | Courvoisier's sign |
labs for diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma | alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, CA 19-9 |
pancreatic imaging protocol | CT |
tissue diagnosis ofr pancreatic adenocarcinoma, in a good surgical candidate | not always needed if imaging is convincing |
procedure used for resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the head of the pancreas | Whipple |
median survival time for patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma | 3-6 months |
median survival time for patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma | 15-17 months |
the overall incidence of pancreatitis in the general population is 1:__ | 4000 |
gallstones account for __% of all cases of acute pancreatitis | 45 |
alcohol accounts for __% of all cases of acute pancreatitis | 35 |
pancreatitis is probably caused by premature activation of __ which activates the other digestive zymogens, leading to acinar cell injury | trypsinogen to trypsin |
__ is virtualy always present with pancreatitis | abdominal pain |
abdominal pain associated with pancreatitis is usually __ | refractory to analgesics |
abdominal pain associated with pancreatitis often radiates to __ and is worse when supine | the back |
other manifestations of acute pancreatitis | nausea, vomiting, and fever |
in acute pancreatitis a wide variety of toxic materials including pancreatic enzymes, vasoactive materials, are __ which leads to third space losses of protein rich fluid, hypovolemia, and hypotension | liberated by the pancreas and extravasate along fascial planes in the retroperitoneal space, lesser sac, and the peritoneal cavity |
toxic materials from an inflammed pancreas may also reach the systemic ciruculation by way of lymphatics and venous pathways, which can lead to __ | subcutaneous fat necrosis, and end organ damage, including shock, renal failure, and respiratory insufficiency |
ecchymosis of the flank | Grey Turner's sign |
ecchymosis in the periumbilical region | Cullen's sign |
Grey Turner's sign and Cullen's sign are associated with | hemorrhagic pancreatitis |
metabolic problems are common in severe pancreatitis and include | hypocalcemia, hyperglycemia, and acidosis |
hypocalcemia associate with pancreatitis is usually due to a concomitant __ | hypoalbuminemia |
circumscribed intra-abdominal collection of pus, usually in proximity to the pancreas, which contains little or no pancreatic necrosis | pancreatic abscess |
defined as encapsulated nonepithelial lined collections of pancreatic juice formed a minimum of four weeks after the onset of acute pancreatitis and located in or adjacent to the pancreas | pancreatic pseudcyst |
treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts and abscesses requires __ | radiographic, endoscopic, or surgical drainage |
the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is based on __ | the presence of abdominal pain |
the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is supported by __ | elevations in serum amylase and lipase in excess of three times the upper limit of normal |
elevated serum pancreatic enzymes may occur in a wide variety of other conditions such as | bowel perforation, intestinal obstruction, mesenteric ischemia, tuboovarian disease, and renal failure |
__ can be used to confirm a diagnosis of pancreatitis | CT |
does not correlate with the severity of pancreatitis | serum pancreatic enzymes |
most patients with pancreatitis can be treated with | supportive therapy |
early deaths within the first 2 weeks from pancreatitis are the result of __ | multisystem organ failure by the release of inlfammatory mediators and cytokines |
late deaths from pancreatitis result from __ | local or systemic infection |
an APACHE-II score greater than __ has been shown to predict severe pancreatitis | eight |
characterized by intact microcirculation and uniform enhancement of the gland on contrast enhanced CT scanning | interstitial pancreatitis |
characterized by disruption of the pancreatic microcirculation so that large areas do not enhance on CT | necrotizing pancreatitis |
is recommended in the setting of necrotizing pancreatitis to reduce the incidence of pancreatic infection | selective gut decontamination or systemic antibiotic prophylaxis |
patients with infected necrosis of the pancreas require | surgical debridement |
patients with sterile necrosis of the pancreas can be __ | followed with supportive therapy |
the most common non-obstructive cause of chronic pancreatitis is | chronic alcoholism |
gallstone pancreatitis almost never leads to | chronic pancreatitis |
in chronic pancreatitis pain may be accompanied by __ | steatorrhea with symptoms of diarrhea and weight loss |
__ does not occur until the output of lipase is decreased to less than 10% of normal | steatorrhea |
the complications of chronic pancreatitis include | pseudocysts, pancreatic fistulas, biliary obstruction, pancreatic cancer, small bowel bacterial overgrowth, and gastric varices secondary to splenic-vein thrombosis |
because direct biopsy of the pancreas is considered too risky, the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is typically based on __ | tests of pancreatic structure and function |
gold standard functional test for diagnsosing chronic pancreatitis. | secretin stimulation test |
this test involves the oral placement of a catheter into the duodenum for aspiration of pancreatic juice before and after stimulation with intravenous secretin | secretin stimulation test |
the gold standard to document steatorrhea, however it is not specific for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency | 72 hour fecal fat |
is not widely performed b/c it is labor intensive and is uncomfortable for the pateint | secretin stimulation test |
correlates with functioning acinar parynchema | serum trypsinogen level |
should be the first test performed when pancreatitis is suspected b/c it is both simple and inexpensive | plain film radiography |
the most sensitive imaging studies to evaluate for structural abnormalities of the pancreatic parenchyma | ERCP, EUS |
carcinoma of the pancreas is the __ leading cause of cancer in adults | fourth |
<__% of all patients with carcinoma of the pancreas are alive after the first year of disease | 20 |
__% of patients with carcinoma of the pancreas are alive beyond the fifth year of disease | 1-3 |
contributing factors to carcinoma of the pancreas | age, male, carcinogens, cigarette smoke, hereditary pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, possibly a high fat diet. |
occupational exposure to __ are clear risk factors for carcinoma of the pancreas | naphthylamine and benzidine |
neither __ appear to be risk factors for carcinoma of the pancreas | coffee or alcohol consumption |
by the time of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer the tumor | has reached an advanced stage |
common presenting signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer | jaundice, weight loss, and abdominal pain (constant and radiates to the back) |
__ is the most common presentation in patients with a potentially resectable and curable lesion | painless jaundice |
__ are the best imaging studies to define a pancreatic mass and assess for liver metastasis or vascular invasion | CT and MRI |
__ should be considered if pancreatic cancer is suspected but a mass has not been found on other imaging studies | ERCP |
__ has a sensitivity of 80-90% and a specificity of 85-95% in diagnosing pancreatic cancer in patients exhibiting signs and symptoms suggestive of pancreatic cancer | CA 19-9 |
__ is the most accurate diagnostic and staging technique, providing information of tumor location, vascular invasion, and lymph node involvement | EUS |
cancers of the body and tail that are resectable for cure | none |
cancers of the pancreatic head that are resectable for cure | 10-20% |
surgery for resectable carcinoma of the head of the pancreas usually involves a __ | Whipple's operation |
__ offers the only chance for cure in pancreatic cancer | surgery |
__ have met wit little sucess in the treatment of pancreatic cancer | radiation and chemotherapy |
for patients with inoperable lesions __often become the focus of therapy | palliative interventions to alleviate jaundice, pain and intestinal obstruction |