Pancreatitis autoinmune. Serie de casos y actualización bibliográfica

The concept and diagnostic criteria for autoimmune pancreatitis have evolved since the first case reports published in the 1960s. The advances in knowledge during the past two decades have resulted in the recognition of several pancreatic conditions that show, on histological evaluation, variable combinations of inflammation and fibrosis. In fact, autoimmune pancreatitis comprises two distinct diseases: type 1 and type 2. Type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis is a particular pancreatic disease about which there is limited data; it differs from the ‘classic’ IgG4-related type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis in terms of epidemiology, pathological characteristics and natural evolution. There are patients with complex pancreatic conditions where an autoimmune component and good response to steroids are demonstrated, but they do not meet the suggested criteria for the diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis. Although the term steroid-responsive pancreatitis may be interpreted as a synonym to type 1 and 2 autoimmune pancreatitis, these are not the only pancreatic conditions that improve with this type of treatment. Here, we present three clinical cases and a literature review related to the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis and other less frequent pancreatic disorders that present a good response to steroid therapy.