title: Management strategies for autoimmune pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a newly developed concept for a peculiar type of pancreatitis, and at present is recognized as a pancreatic lesion reflecting IgG4-related systemic disease. It is of utmost importance to differentiate AIP from pancreatic cancer to avoid unnecessary surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current management strategies for AIP, including its clinical features, diagnostic criteria, clinical subtypes, steroid therapy and prognosis are discussed, based on our 66 AIP cases and papers searched in PubMed from 1992 to March 2011, using the term 'autoimmune pancreatitis'. A new clinicopathological entity, an 'IgG4-related sclerosing disease' is also mentioned.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AIP should be considered in the differential diagnosis in elderly male patients presented with obstructive jaundice and pancreatic mass. Steroids are a standard therapy for AIP, but their regimen including maintenance therapy should be evaluated in prospective trials.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, 3-18-22 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8677, Japan. kamisawa@cick.jp
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamisawa
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takuma
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Sawako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuruma
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishna
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Egawa
authors.forename: Fumihide
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Itokawa
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoi
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011239:Prednisolone