Duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection: Long-term results.

Early and late results from 298 patients with chronic pancreatitis who were surgically treated by means of duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) were prospectively analyzed. The aim of this operative procedure is to treat complications of chronic pancreatitis caused by inflammatory enlargement of the pancreatic head by decompressing the common bile duct, the pancreatic duct, the duodenum, and the retropancreatic intestinal vessels. End points of the study were early and late postoperative outcome.

CA 19-9 and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

The diagnostic place value of CA 19-9, a tumor-associated antigen, was tested in 611 patients. This group of patients included 273 patients who suffered from a malignant disease (48 patients with pancreatic carcinomas and 225 patients with extrapancreatic malignant growths) and 338 patients with benign diseases (66 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 36 patients with acute pancreatitis, and 236 patients with general surgical diseases). In 93% of the patients with pancreatic carcinoma (media value, 528 U/ml), in 37% and 19% of the patients with carcinoma of the stomach and colorectal carcinomas (median value 8 U/ml), respectively, the CA 19-9 value was estimated as being above the normal limits of 6 to 37 U/ml.