McIlrath, Donald C.

Commercial preparations of secretin inhibit gastric secretion of Heidenhain pouches in response to certain stimuli. Since these preparations are mucosal extracts and not pure secretin, inhibition could be due to active materials other than secretin present in the extracts. To determine whether other active substances were present, two commercial secretin preparations, which were markedly different in weight per unit of pancreatic secretagogic activity, were tested for their relative abilities to stimulate pancreatic secretion in dogs with Thomas cannulas and to inhibit gastric secretion of Heidenhain pouches stimulated by exogenous gastrin in totally gastrectomized dogs. Inhibition of gastric secretion occurred with both preparations. The ratio between the weight of extract required to inhibit gastric secretion and that required to stimulate pancreatic secretion was the same for the two preparations despite the great differences in weights necessary to produce equivalent stimulation of the pancreas. This supports the concept that the same factor, either secretin or a closely related substance, accounted for both of these effects.

Abstract The management of pancreatic pain is a controversial subject and the treatment recommended varies from one extreme to the other. Some authorities advise simply waiting for chronic pancreatitis to ‘burn out’, while others practise removal of the entire gland. In this paper we present 141 patients who underwent surgery for chronic pancreatitis at the Mayo Clinic. The main indication for operation was pancreatic pain and the choice of operation was based on anatomical abnormalities in the gland. The long-term results of the policy are reviewed (mean follow-up 8·5 years). Length of history, aetiology of disease, pancreatic dysfunction and pathology, time after operation and continued alcohol abuse were computer analysed for a statistically significant influence on pain relief, ability to work, pancreatic function and survival. There was one operative death (mortality rate 0·7 per cent). Continued drinking was not shown to affect postoperative pain relief but 10-year survival was significantly less in alcoholics than in those with non-alcoholic pancreatitis (P < 0·02). Dilated ducts and duct calculi were associated with good results for pain relief although this association did not achieve statistical significance. Parenchymal calcification and time after operation did not influence the results of surgery. When the operation failed to relieve pain, spontaneous remission occurred in a few cases only. Seventy-seven per cent of patients had lasting relief of pain and operations selected on the basis of gross pathology were equally effective in relieving pain. Longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy in those with dilated ducts and a Whipple operation for disease of the pancreatic head gave good results. However quality of life and pancreatic function were severely impaired by 80–95 per cent distal resections and by total pancreatectomy. An extended proximal resection is suggested for patients with diffuse disease and non-dilated ducts.

AbstractFrom 1951 through December, 1985, a total of 89 patients underwent total pancreatectomy for ductal adenocarcinoma. Of the 89 patients, 54 were male and 35 were female; their average age was 60.0 years. Histologic grading (Broders') demonstrated that 56% of the patients had a grade 2 tumor and 38%, a grade 3 tumor. None of the patients had grade 4 tumors. Peripancreatic lymph nodes were positive in 47% of the patients at the time of resection. Multicentricity was noted in 32.5% of patients. The operative mortality was 10.1%; however, for the patients who had surgery after January, 1980, the operative mortality was 6.2%. At the completion of the study, 78 patients had died and 11 were alive. The principal cause of death was recurrent malignancy. The median duration of survival, including the duration of survival in patients who had operative deaths, was 1.03 years. The influence of sex, tumor grade and size, multicentricity, and nodal status was evaluated multivariately with Cox's proportional hazard model.