Age-related pathological changes in the pancreas

Abstract

Pancreas has a complex histology and is characterized by a combination of endocrine and exocrine cells. Pancreas undergoes various pathological changes with aging characterized by increased fatty replacement, fibrosis, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, amyloid deposition, a decreased weight as well as development of intra-epithelial neoplastic changes. These age-related alterations lead to diabetes mellitus and can predispose the individual to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In this review, we summarize age-related morphological and pathological changes of aging in pancreas.