Objective: To discuss the difference in diagnostic criteria of autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP) and its major influential factors, so as to provide guidance for AIP diagnosis and treatment.
Methods: The clinical data of 561 cases of chronic pancreatitis admitted to PLA General Hospital from June, 2008 to January, 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Data were extracted and analyzed to summarize the reasons of the differences in AIP diagnosis rate diagnosed by different diagnostic criteria.
Results: A total of 34 cases were eligible for the 2006 American HISORt criteria of AIP of whom, 5, 10 and 26 met the criteria of histology, pancreatic imaging findings and increasing serum IgG4 levels, and response to steroids and increasing serum IgG4 levels, respectively. Seven AIP patients met the latter two criteria. Fifteen patients were eligible for the 2008 Asian diagnostic criteria for AIP, of which, 10 met the two necessary imaging findings and 5 met the criteria of pathology of lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis (LPSP) after surgical resection.
Conclusions: AIP is characterized by autoimmune inflammatory process, and is easy to be misdiagnosed as pancreatic cancer or cholangiocarcinoma etc. As a few sets of criteria issued from different countries, the 2008 Asian diagnostic criterion is more suitable with Chinese population. We should pay full attention to the importance of imaging examination of the diagnosis of AIP on the base of the detection of immune parameters, pathological examination and response to steroids.