PANCREATIC HISTOLOGY IN PATIENTS UNDER LONG TERM CORTICOSTEROID TREATMENT

In 52 autopsy cases (30 cases treated with corticosteroid and 22 cases not treated), changes of the pancreas due to corticosteroid administration were histologically studied. Light microscopy revealed a significantly more frequent appearance of PAS positive materials inside of the acinar lumen, goblet cell metaplasia and hyperplasia of the pancreatic duct epithelium and spotty necrosis of the acinar cells in corticosteroid- treated cases than in non-treated cases. The mean number of dilated acini containing PAS positive materials (DAPPM) in ten 400 power fields was 1.63±2.0 in the non-treated group and 3.76±2.6 in the corticosteroid-treated group(p<0.01). Thus, these findings seems to play an important role in outflow disturbance of pancreatic juice. Electron microscopy revealed filamentous and electron dense materials filling in the dilated acinar lume, probably representing pancreatic juice with high viscosity and degradate on products of exocrine pancreatic cells