The great pretender : Autoimmune Pancreatitis

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a benign disorder which frequently presents with symptoms and imaging suggestive of pancreatic malignancy. Up to 21% of pancreatoduodenectomies performed for suspected pancreatic cancer are found to have benign disease. Autoimmune pancreatitis responds rapidly to corticosteroids and may be associated with extrapancreatic manifestations. Type 1 forms part of the IgG4-related disease while type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis is less likely to have elevated levels of IgG4. This review discusses the characteristics of the two types of autoimmune pancreatitis and highlights the management and prognosis of this condition.