Development of pancreatic carcinoma in chronic calcifying pancreatitis (CCP)

The reported incidence of pancreatic carcinoma in CCP varies from 2.9 to 25%. The pathogenetic relationship between these two conditions has been debated, but it is still not necessarily clear. Here, we report a case of pancreatic carcinoma associated with CCP. A 78-year-old man suffered from alcohol-related CCP for 28 years. Follow-up computed tomography showed a pancreatic tumor in the head of the pancreas with liver and abdominal lymph node metastases. Histopathological studies of a biopsy specimen from the liver metastasis revealed adenocarcinoma. Subsequently, chemotherapy with gemcitabine was undertaken. In this case, the patient had a long history of CCP, and thus a strong association of these two diseases is suspected. We emphasize the need for close follow-up of patients with CCP to detect possible coexisting pancreatic carcinoma.