Autoimmune pancreatitis: the puzzle that challenges pancreatic surgeon        LOU Wen-hui. Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai 200032 ，China
Abstract    There still remains lots of difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis. The International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria forAutoimmune Pancreatitis is suggested to be applied in diagnostic workup. ERCP is valuable when radiological evidence is vague. The interpretation of response to steroid should be cautious; the possibility of malignant tumor needs to be excluded. Steroid is necessary even for patients after operation. Long term steroid maintain could decrease the recurrence rate. Open laparotomy or pancreatectomy is necessary for patients whose diagnosis is debatable after all kinds of diagnostic workups.