Imaging of Focal Autoimmune Pancreatitis and Differentiating It from Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is an inflammatory disorder of pancreas. Two types have been identified: the diffuse and the focal or mass forming. Clinical presentation of AIP overlaps that of pancreatic cancer (PC). Sometimes serum IgG4 and CA 19-9 levels are unable to differentiate AIP from PC. Various series have shown that 5%–21% of resected pancreatic masses for suspected malignancy turned out to be AIP. Accurate diagnosis of focal AIP can avoid unnecessary surgeries. This paper elaborates the various imaging modalities useful in differentiating focal AIP from PC.