The impact of a multidisciplinary team evaluation on the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic pancreatitis in a tertiary referral center

BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary team meetings (MTM) are crucial in benign conditions such as acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Our aim was to evaluate the impact of MTM on the diagnosis and management of AP and CP in a tertiary referral center. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 232 patients with AP/CP discussed with biweekly MTM (10/2020-06/2024). The patients were classified according to etiology or complication management, recording diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes over six months. RESULTS: Of 536 referred patients, 232 were analyzed (142 AP, 90 CP). In AP subgroup, MTM revised etiology in 34.4% of cases and identified a cause in 45.5% of idiopathic AP. MTM also ensured successful management of AP complications in 100% of cases, including endoscopic or surgical interventions for pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis. In CP, the diagnosis was revised in 38.9%, with a cause identified in 45.5% of idiopathic cases. MTM effectively guided CP complication management, with 55% of cases managed surgically and 10% endoscopically. MTM identified 6 cases of low-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and 9 previously undiagnosed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) across both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: In high-volume centers, MTM enhance diagnostic accuracy and optimize the tailored management of benign pancreatic diseases.