Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasms in the normal appearing pancreas: on their precise relationship with age.
OBJECTIVE
Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasms (PanINs) have been considered as age-related lesions as well as precancerous lesions. However, we do not know their true relationship with age because the former studies did not deal with all age groups. Moreover, the numbers of the patients in each age group were not the same. This study was done to examine the "true relationship" between PanINs and age.


METHODS
Ninety autopsied normal appearing pancreases from all age groups (from under 10s to 80s) were examined. Each group had 10 patients. The relationship between PanINs and age was studied. The sexual difference was also studied.


RESULTS
Both the incidence of PanIN positive patients and the number of PanINs increased with age from under 10s to 40s, but they did not correlate with patient age after 40s. The number of PanIN positive patients in the under 10s, 40s and 80s were 2, 10 and 9, respectively. The number of PanINs in the under 10s, 40s and 80s were 11, 127 and 130, respectively. A sexual difference was not seen.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship between PanINs and age showed a biphasic correlation pattern before and after 40s. The presence of PanIN positive patients in their first year of age was also a new finding.
Ito
Ryu
R
Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. ryuu@tg7.so-net.ne.jp
Kondo
Fukuo
F
Yamaguchi
Taketo
T
Kato
Kazuki
K
Sakai
Yuzo
Y
Saisho
Hiromitsu
H
Yamazaki
Kazuto
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult