ObjectiveTo investigate the differential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head and pancreatic carcinoma, and choose the effective treatment of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head. MethodsEighty cases of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head from January 2008 to January 2014 in this hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The preoperative blood tumor markers, hepatobiliary and pancreatic color Doppler ultrasound, CT strengthen, MRI, MRCP, or other imaging studies were tested for all the patients. ResultsThere were 4 cases of long-term drinking or excessive drinking history in 8 cases of chronic pancreatitis with mass of pancreatic head.The past medical history included 5 patients with acute pancreatitis, 3 patients with chronic cholecystitis, 2 patients with cholecystolithiasis.Six patients had varying degree of jaundice and 5 patients had left upper abdominal pain.There were 4 patients with high blood sugar, 6 patients with serum hyperbilirubin, 5 patients with elevated CA19-9 and 2 patients with elevated CEA by serum assay.The imaging revealed that a mass was in the head of the pancreas.The standard pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 6 cases, duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection was performed in 2 cases.These 8 patients underwent the intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytological examination revealed the changes of chronic pancreatitis by postoperative pathology.The levels of CA19-9 and CEA on 1 week after operation were reduced to normal levels in patients with elevated CA19-9 and CEA alone or together.There was no case of serious complications such as postoperative pancreatic leakage and bile leakage.The intermittent vomiting appeared in 3 months after duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection, the upper gastrointestinal radiography showed the stenosis of duodenum, the contrac-tures of the duodenum, especial the descending duodenum, was found through reoperation, the symptom was relief after gastrojejunal anastomosis.The recurrence was not seen in all these 8 patients with follow-up of 1-6 years. ConclusionsThe jaundice and abdominal for the patients with pancreatic head mass of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer pain are the main symptoms, but their characteristics are different, the former is minor, volatility, and intermittent; the latter is sustained and progressively aggravated.Understanding of past medical history for the identification of both is some significances.CA19-9 and CEA as the identification of the pancreatic head mass in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer is not meaningful.Patients with chronic pancreatitis of pancreatic mass are finished by multi-needle biopsy for pancreatic head mass, duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection is preferred.Patients with invasive pancreatic mass and peripheral vascular adhesion must undergo standard pancreaticoduodenectomy.