Carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Out of the various organs in the body the pancreas is still treated yli th "great respect" by surgeons. This is mainly due to the high morbirlity and mortality resulting froQ diseases of the pancreas, the surgical complications after pancreatic surgery - Mainly pancreatitis and pancreatic fistula are the major causes of this "great respect'! coupled with the very poor prognosis in Carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas.

It is thus not until 1935 that Whipple and associates performed the first successful pancreati­ coduodenectomy for a carcinoma of the head of pancreas, that other surgeons also started performing various surgical procedures on the pancreas, but even then majority of pancreatic related surgery was palliative bypass surgery.

In Kenya no study haa been done to document the condition as it presents locally~ It is the aim of this stUdy to hale a retrospective review of cases seen at the Kenyatta National Hospital over a Nine year per~od and study the epidemiology, Clinical features, Methods of diagnosis and management of pancreatic Exocrine, cancer.