Resolution of diabetes after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with and without pancreatic ductal cell adenocarcinoma.

Background: New-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with pancreatic ductal cell adenocarcinoma (PDCA) and can resolve after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Whether DM also resolves after PD in patients operated for disease other than PDCA remains to be determined.

Methods: We compared glycemic status before and after PD between patients with and without PDCA by review of a prospectively maintained database including all patients receiving PD from 2005 to 2011. New-onset DM was defined as diagnosis of DM less than 24 months before PD, and cases with DM diagnosis≥24 months preceding PD were described as long-standing DM.

Results: Of 458 patients receiving PD, there were 146 (31.9%) PDCA and 312 (68.1%) non-PDCA, including 160 benign diseases, 113 ampulla cancer, 29 distal common bile duct cancer, and 10 duodenal cancer. Overall prevalence of DM was higher in PDCA group than non-PDCA group (37.7 vs. 25.6%; P=0.011). Resolution of new-onset DM after PD was observed in 9 (41%) of 22 patients with PDCA and in 12 (63%) of 19 patients without PDCA. Resolution of long-standing DM after PD was also observed in 3 (9.1%) of 33 patients with PDCA and in 6 (9.8%) of 61 patients without PDCA.

Conclusions: DM resolved after PD in some patients both with and without PDCA. These findings suggest that PD-associated anatomic change may play a role in resolution of DM after PD.