Does fatty atrophy of the head and uncinate of the pancreas indicate pancreatic cancer?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

I have reviewed your case history and the attached CT (computed tomography) scan report (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity). The CT scan indicated nausea, vomiting, and some altered bowel habits. An important finding was proctocolitis, explaining your gut symptoms predominantly. Pancreatic finding: probable fatty atrophy of head and uncinate. So my comments will be the following.

• Pancreatic cancer usually presents with a mass-like lesion within the pancreas. There are certain clinical features like upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and a lump on abdominal examination by a doctor.
• I would like to ask about alcohol consumption in your case. Alcohol-induced fatty infiltration of the pancreas is important to consider too.
• Any history of acute or recurrent pancreatitis?
• Do you have a history of weight loss or any family history of pancreatic diseases?
• Age-related changes: sometimes pancreatic tissue is replaced by fatty infiltration with increasing age.
• Regarding the question of whether it is cancer or not? So for that, the blood tumor marker is CA19-9, and a CT scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) with a pancreatic protocol is used.
• Fecal elastase levels are the test we do for pancreatic function, whether it is working normally in your case or not.
• Amylase and lipase levels to check for any underlying pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

I hope this helps.

Thanks and take care.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

It is good that your lipase is normal. Overall your unremarkable family history and bowels back to normal are good signs. An occasional drink is not the cause; even the night before cannot cause such changes in the pancreas. These seem to be age-related chronic changes. One tumor marker CA19-9 can be done, just for reassurance.

Hope this helps.

Thanks and take care.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

In most cases, age-related fatty pancreatic atrophy will not cause cancer. This is an incidental finding in your case. It rarely causes cancer, just like risk in normal individuals. I would recommend just checking CA 19-9 levels once for reassurance. Your gastroenterologist will keep an eye on, maybe a repeat imaging once, to have a comparative study about three to six months later.

Hope this helps.

Thanks and take care.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Yes, you should stop worrying. Nothing is alarming on your CT (computed tomography) scan related to the pancreas. Even they did not consider it to write this finding in the final impression of your CT scan report, so stop worrying. Just have a routine follow-up with your gastroenterologist.

Hope this helps.

Thanks and take care.