Chronic pancreatitis is a rare disease that mainly affects males around age 40, with symptoms present for 3-10 years on average before diagnosis. It is commonly caused by alcohol, recurrent pancreatitis, autoimmune or genetic factors. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, poor appetite and weight loss. Complications can include pseudocysts, pancreatic duct strictures, stones, bile duct obstruction, maldigestion, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer in some cases. Diagnosis involves imaging like ultrasound, CT, MRI, and EUS along with tests of fecal fat and elastase levels.

1. Chronic Pancreatitis
Hakan Şentürk

2. • Rare disease. Prevalence < 1/10.000
• M/F ratio: 3/1
• Avarage age at diagnosis: 40 (16-70)
• Avarage duration of symptoms before diagnosis 3-10 years.

3. Etiology
• Alcohol
• Recurrent pancreatitis-40 %
• Autoimmune (IgG4-related)
• Idiopathic
• Hereditary: CFTR, PRSS1, SPINK

4. SYMPTOMS
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Poor apetite
• Steatorrhea
• Weight loss
• Poor performance status

5. COMPLICATIONS
• Pseudocyst
• Pancreatic duct stricture
• Pancreatic duct stone
• Common bile duct obstruction
• Maldigestion/Malabsorption
• Type III Diabetes
• Pancreatic cancer: 4 % (Hereditary: up to 40 %)

6. DIAGNOSIS
• Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance
(Cholangio-Pancreatography)
• Endoscopic Ultrasonography (EUS)
• Fecal fat
• Fecal elastase