2005 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 103-109
A 66-year-old male presented with general fatigue and jaundice. Laboratory findings showed cholestatic liver dysfunction and high levels of serum gamma-globulin and IgG. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed enlargement of the head of the pancreas with irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct and stenosis of the lower bile duct. It also demonstrated fibrosis surrounding the pancreatic tail. The findings of biopsy specimens from the head of the pancreas were consistent with autoimmune pancreatitis. Steroid therapy resulted in improvement of the pancreatic head lesion. Three years later, follow up imaging tests showed the appearance of new fibrotic tissue involving the abdominal aorta without significant changes in the pancreas. We describe an interesting case of autoimmune pancreatitis with retroperitoneal fibrosis after steroid therapy.
