Pancreas Pathology

Question 1

agenesis/aplasia

Answer 1

pancreas does not develop

Question 2

hypoplasia

Answer 2

underdeveloped pancreas

occurs in calves

Question 3

variation in duct disposition

Answer 3

anatomical variations in ducts

occurs in dogs

Question 4

annular pancreas

Answer 4

ring of pancreatic tissue surrounds the descending duodenum

occurs in dogs and pigs

Question 5

congenital stenosis or cystic dilation of the pancreatic duct

Answer 5

narrowing/widening of pancreatic duct

Question 6

ectopic/accessory pancreatic tissue

Answer 6

pancreatic tissue in places it shouldn’t be

Question 7

necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 7

necrosis + inflammation of the pancreas

often seen together

Question 8

species affected: necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 8

dogs, cats, pigs, birds

Question 9

predispositions for necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 9

obesity
age (middle-old)
female
hyperadrenocorticism
hypothyroidism
hypercalcemia
uremia

Question 10

lethality of necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 10

high

Question 11

outcome of necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 11

DIC

feline triaditis - IBD, cholangitis, pancreatitis

Question 12

causes of necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 12

1. idiopathic (obesity, Cushings)
2. nutrition (high fat diet)
3. toxic
4. ischemia
5. obstruction
6. infectious

Question 13

toxic causes

Answer 13

• mycotoxins
• selenium
• zinc
• cassia occidentalis
• anticholinesterases (insecticides)
• corticosteroids/chemotherapy

Question 14

zinc toxicity

Answer 14

mainly occurs in birds (new cage disease) and sheep

histology: vacuolation, cell swelling (acute), fibrosis and atrophy (chronic)

Question 15

obstruction causes

Answer 15

blockage of the ducts by parasites, calculi (duct pancreatolithiasis), tumors, duct metaplasia

Question 16

infectious causes

Answer 16

1. viral: Newcastle disease (chickens)
2. fungi: zygomycetes, cryptococcus
3. parasites: flukes, stephanurus dentatus
4. bacterial

Question 17

pathogenesis of necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 17

1. necrosis of fat surrounding the pancreas (peripancreatic mesenteric adipose tissue)
2. necrosis of marginal acinar cells –> enzyme leakage –> autodigestion
3. necrosis of peripheral lobules
4. necrosis of duct system and centrilobular parenchyma

Question 18

acute necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 18

yellow fat necrosis, necrosis invading the parenchyma

neutrophilic infiltration

Question 19

chronic necrotizing pancreatitis

Answer 19

fibrosis

Question 20

systemic effects of pancreatitis

Answer 20

• inflammation
• DIC
• shock
• cardiopulmonary dysfunction
• peritonitis

Question 21

diagnosing pancreatitis

Answer 21

nonspecific tests: clinical signs, CBC, chemistry
specific: TLI, specCPL/FPL
imaging: ultrasound
laparotomy/laparoscopy/biopsy

Question 22

exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; EPI

Answer 22

pancreas is not producing enough exocrine products

Question 23

causes of EPI

Answer 23

1. canine pancreatic acinar atrophy of juvenile onset
2. chronic recurrent pancreatitis
3. neoplasia
4. duct obstruction

Question 24

clinical signs of EPI

Answer 24

• voluminous foul smelling steatorrhea
• severe weight loss
• increased appetite

Question 25

histology of EPI

Answer 25

most tissue is gone and replaces with fibrous tissue

Question 26

nodular hyperplasia

Answer 26

developmental condition where normal pancreatic cells cannot control division

causes nodules of normal pancreatic cells to form

common in dogs

appears as nodules on histology but with normal acini inside

Question 27

pancreatic carcinoma

Answer 27

malignant epithelial cell cancer in the pancreas
- invades beyond the pancreas

histology: loss of normal anatomy; too many acinar cells per acinus, disorganized

Question 28

carcinomatosis

Answer 28

carcinoma that expands outward instead of metastasizing