Infraorbital nerve swelling associated with autoimmune pancreatitis

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of our study was to examine the relation between autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and infraorbital nerve swelling.

Materials and methods: A total of 11 AIP patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of the head and neck region. The infraorbital nerve thicknesses were measured on coronal images and compared with those of a control group. We also examined whether the infraorbital nerve thicknesses were altered from before to after steroid therapy in nine patients who underwent MRI examination after such therapy.

Results: The mean thicknesses were 3.8 ± 2.0 mm in the AIP group and 2.6 ± 0.5 mm in the control group (P < 0.05). The nerve thicknesses were >5 mm in 5 of 11 patients (45%) in the AIP group, and <5 mm in all of the control group. Among the nine patients who underwent MRI examination after steroid therapy, three had shown nerve swelling before steroid therapy; the therapy diminished the swelling in all three patients.

Conclusion: Infraorbital nerve swelling was observed more frequently in AIP patients than in patients without a history of AIP. Therefore, such swelling seems to be an extrapancreatic lesion of AIP.