[Autoimmune pancreatitis as an element of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome]. / Autoimmunologiczne zapalenie trzustki jako skladowa autoimmunologicznego zespolu wielogruczolowego.

Autoimmune pancreatitis constantly belongs to diseases which often causes significant diagnostic problem and often runs out with surgical intervention as considered to be a pancreatic cancer. Important although usually underestimated problems are polyglandular syndromes, which may consist of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) problem as well. This case report is an example of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS), which was connected with the surgical treatment with biliary bypass anastomosis because of the unresectable lesion in the head of pancreas. The definite remission of the pancreatic lesion finally came after a steroid therapy. Differentiation between neoplastic and inflammatory pancreatic tumors very often remains a serious clinical problem. On grounds of imaging and cytopathology exams it is often difficult to decide about the nature of a lesion. The negative result of cytopathological biopsy examination does not finally settle straightforward diagnosis. Diagnostic problems affect also autoimmune pancreatitis. It is worth to undertake attempts to differentiate pancreatic lesions especially in cases of concomitance with other autoimmune polyglandular syndromes. That is because it is connected with completely different treatment and outcome. We should remember about diagnostic criteria of autoimmune pancreatitis. Appropriate diagnosis for patients with AIP gives them a chance to avoid serious surgical resection and possible complications.

[Hereditary pancreatitis]. / Dziedziczne zapalenie trzustki.

Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a rare, heterogeneous familial disease and should be suspected in any patient who has suffered at least two attacks of acute pancreatitis for which there is no underlying cause and unexplained chronic pancreatitis with a family history in a first- or second degree relative. with an early onset, mostly during childhood. Genetic factors have been implied in cases of familial chronic pancreatitis. The most common are mutations of the PRSS1 gene on the long arm of the chromosome 7, encoding for the cationic trypsinogen. The inheritance pattern is autosomal dominant with an incomplete penetrance (80%). The inflammation results in repeated DNA damage, error-prone repair mechanisms and the progressive accumulation of genetic mutations. Risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a major concern of many patients with hereditary chronic pancreatitis, but the individual risk is poorly defined. Better risk models of pancreatic cancer in individual patients based on etiology of pancreatitis, family history, genetics, smoking, alcohol, diabetes and the patient's age are needed.