What is chronic Pancreatitis?

Chronic pancreatitis is caused by recurrent episodes of inflammation of the pancreas. This may be due to repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis, or to a number of other conditions that affect the pancreatic gland. It appears that when the pancreas is damaged, the digestive enzymes that it produces digest the pancreas itself causing further damage, and the initiation of a progressive cycle of recurrent damage. The classical symptom of chronic pancreatitis is recurrent abdominal pain.

Chronic pancreatitis also leads to impairment of pancreatic function with inadequate digestion of foodstuffs in the intestine (Malabsorption). This leads to diarrhoea, weight loss and malnutrition. With time irreversible damage to the anatomy and structure of the gland occurs. Diabetes mellitus may also develop as the gland’s ability to produce insulin is progressively impaired.

Causes

The commonest cause in the UK is:

• Alcohol misuse -70 to 80% cases. If a person continues to drink alcohol with this condition it is likely to worsen. Chronic pancreatitis may be complicated by the other mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural effects of long-term alcohol misuse (see Alcohol Disorders guidance)

Other less common causes:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Raised blood lipids
• Raised blood calcium
• Auto immune disease of the pancreas
• Gall stones
• Tropical type seen in Africa and Asia
• Developmental abnormalities of the gland structure
• Hereditary form
• Idiopathic (cause unknown)

The condition is more common in men than women, and presents most frequently in the age range 40 - 50 years. Each year in the UK approximately

I in 100,000 people develop chronic pancreatitis.

Amended April 2008