ACINAR CELL CARCINOMA OF PANCREAS: REPORT OF CASE IN WHICH FUNCTION OF CARCINOMATOUS CELLS WAS SUSPECTED *

W E are reporting a case of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas in which values for enzymatic activity in the serum were many times greater than those usually encountered in cases of carcinoma of the pancreas. These values were so high that we entertained the possibility that functioning of the acinar cell carcinoma contributed to their height. CASE REPORT A man, aged 49 years, a Polish printer, was admitted to the Mayo Clinic Sep-tember 9, 1940. During the preceding 10 years he had had an ulcerous type of dys-pepsia which had been periodic, occurring in attacks of one to two weeks in length, once or twice yearly. Three months before his admission, an apparently typical at-tack of ulcerous dyspepsia had begun and had become by far the worst he had ever experienced; for the first time the pain had extended to his back and awakened him at night. The pain, which was relieved by food or soda, was still a major complaint at the time of his registration at the clinic. Two months before admission diarrhea had begun; the stools numbered two to four daily, were bulky, malodorous and light in color and floated on the water. Five weeks before admission, pain in both lower quadrants of the abdomen had begun. Three weeks before admission, the patient had noted swelling of the abdomen. At that time some anorexia developed but hardly enough to account for the loss of 40 pounds (18.1 kg.) which had taken place in the last three months. On admission the patient did not appear to be acutely ill, but there was evidence of much loss of weight. Icterus was not present. Collateral venous circulation in the abdominal wall was not developed visibly. Palpation did not reveal the liver or the spleen or distention of the gall-bladder. There was slight ascites, but edema, peripheral or dependent, was not present. * Received for publication February 5, 1942