Intermediate cells in chronic pancreatitis--ultrastructural observations.

Ultrastructural evaluation of the pancreas resected due to advanced chronic pancreatitis revealed the presence of numerous intermediate cells exhibiting both the morphologic features of the exocrine-acinar cell and those of the endocrine cell of Langerhans'islets in 3 out of 5 cases examined. The analysis of ultrastructural pictures showed a predominance of acinar-alpha, beta cells, although acinar-alpha and acinar-beta cells were also found. The role of an increases in the number of intermediate cells in chronic pancreatitis is not clear and requires further investigations.