Abstract
Considerable difficulty is sometimes encountered in cytodiagnostic differentiation of atypical cells in chronic pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer cells. To obviate such a difficulty, an endoscopic intraductal brushing method has been devised to collect sufficient exfoiated epithelial cells from the pancreatic duct. A cytomorphologic study of exfoliated epithelial cells has been carried out in normal, mild chronic pancreatitis, advanced chronic pancreatitis and pancratic carcinoma cases.
The incidence of atypical cells was related to the grade of panereatitis. In normal case and midi chronic pancreatitis, the indidence of atypical cells was decreased and in advanced chronic pancreatitis was it increased. The findings of atypical cells in these cases were similar to the malignant cells whicr must be differenciated strictly from atypical cells.
The cells measuring more than 20μ in cellular diameter and over 18μ in nuclear diameter were not demonstrated in any of the advanced cases of chronic pancreatitis. Another point of diagnostic importance consists of marked anisokaryosis, nuclear atypism, abnormal overlaping, and anisochromatism.
