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Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic impact of systemic inflammatory markers for IPMN with high-grade dysplasia (HGD)/invasive carcinoma. Methods Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio were compared across the different histological grades of 205 IPMN cases. We also tested the diagnostic performance for IPMN with HGD/invasive carcinoma. Results The median (interquartile range) preoperative NLR was higher in IPMN with HGD/invasive carcinoma (2.03 [1.48-2.93]) than IPMN with low-grade dysplasia (1.74 [1.42-2.24], P = 0.0137). The C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and derived NLR values were also significant higher in cases with HGD/invasive carcinoma. A combination assay of NLR, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 revealed a 58.8% sensitivity and 76.8% specificity. Among the cases with worrisome features, the high NLR values increased the positive predictive value (68.8%) compared with low values (31.8%). In IPMN cases with the associated invasive carcinoma, high NLR values showed association with the deeper vertical invasion and shorter survival periods. Conclusions Preoperative NLR, combined with tumor markers and image findings, can be a useful predictive marker for the presence of HGD/invasive carcinoma in IPMNs. Preoperative NLR also predicts the long-term outcomes in IPMN cases with invasive carcinoma.

The occurrence of hepatic steatosis after pancreatectomy is known to be associated with the remnant pancreatic function. However, other risk factors for hepatic steatosis after pancreatectomy remain unknown. The aims of this study were to identify other risk factors in addition to the remnant pancreatic function and elucidate the relationship between postoperative hepatic steatosis and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in totally pancreatomized patients.Forty-three patients who underwent total pancreatectomy were analyzed. Hepatic steatosis was defined as the attenuation of unenhanced computed tomography values. Clinical findings and laboratory data were compared between patients with and without hepatic steatosis.Sixteen (37.2%) patients developed hepatic steatosis after total pancreatectomy, with marked declines in the Controlling Nutritional Status score and body mass index. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the attenuation of computed tomography values was correlated with female sex (P = 0.002), early postoperative serum albumin levels (P = 0.003), and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy with high-dose pancrelipase (P = 0.032).Postoperative hepatic steatosis after pancreatectomy is associated with sex, malnutrition, and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. High-dose pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy may have preventive effects on hepatic steatosis occurring after pancreatectomy.

OBJECTIVES Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas encompasses a spectrum of neoplasms with both morphological and immunohistochemical variations of mucin glycoproteins. Recently, a consensus nomenclature and criteria were histologically defined for classifying these variants of IPMNs into gastric, intestinal, pancreatobiliary, and oncocytic types. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between the histological types and clinicopathological features in patients with IPMN. METHODS Sixty-one patients with IPMN operated upon at Tohoku University Hospital between 1988 and 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS Our series included 27 gastric-, 29 intestinal-, 4 pancreatobiliary-, and 1 oncocytic-type IPMNs. Statistically, the types of IPMN were significantly associated with the histological diagnoses, macroscopic types, and survival of the patients. Characteristically, the gastric-type IPMNs were likely to be diagnosed as benign, to be confined to branch ducts, and to have fair prognoses. On the other hand, the intestinal-type IPMNs were likely to be diagnosed as malignant, occupy the main duct, and have poor prognoses. Because of the small number of pancreatobiliary-type IPMNs and only 1 case of oncocytic-type IPMN, we were unable to determine any of their clinicopathological characteristics in our series. CONCLUSIONS Evaluation of the histological types of IPMN may help to predict the clinical course of patients with IPMN and to design improved clinical management for these patients.