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Pancreatitis

Chronic Pancreatitis

Understanding Chronic Pancreatitis

If injury to the pancreas continues, chronic pancreatitis may develop. Chronic pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes attack and destroy the pancreas and nearby tissues, causing scarring and pain. The usual cause of chronic pancreatitis is many years of alcohol abuse, but the chronic form may also be triggered by only one acute attack, especially if the pancreatic ducts are damaged. The damaged ducts cause the pancreas to become inflamed, tissue to be destroyed, and scar tissue to develop.

More on Pancreatitis

  • Pancreatitis has two forms: acute and chronic
  • Common causes of pancreatitis are gallstones or alcohol abuse.
  • Sometimes no cause for pancreatitis can be found.
  • Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, fever, and a rapid pulse.

Pancreatitis Overview

Pancreatitis simply means inflammation of the pancreas. Located in the upper part of the abdomen, behind the stomach, the pancreas plays an important role in digestion. The pancreas is a gland, producing two main types of substances: digestive juices and digestive hormones.

  • Digestive juices include enzymes and bicarbonate. They travel through a small tube called the pancreatic duct to the small intestine (duodenum).
  • There, the enzymes break down the proteins and fats in the foods that you eat to permit the nutrients to be absorbed.

  • The bicarbonate neutralizes stomach acid.
  • Digestive hormones, mainly insulin and glucagon, are released into the bloodstream. They control the body's blood sugar, a major source of energy.

Inflammation of the pancreas has various causes. Once the gland becomes inflamed, the condition can progress to swelling of the gland and surrounding blood vessels, bleeding, infection, and damage to the gland. There, digestive juices become trapped and start "digesting" the pancreas itself. If this damage persists, the gland may not be able to carry out normal functions.

Pancreatitis may be acute (new, short-term) or chronic (ongoing, long-term). Either type can be very severe, even life threatening. Either type can have serious complications.

  • Acute pancreatitis usually begins soon after the damage to the pancreas begins. Attacks are typically very mild, but about 20% of them are very severe. An attack lasts for a short time and usually resolves completely as the pancreas returns to its normal state. Some people have only one attack, whereas other people have more than one attack, but the pancreas always returns to its normal state.

  • Chronic pancreatitis begins as acute pancreatitis. If the pancreas becomes scarred during the attack of acute pancreatitis, it cannot return to its normal state. The damage to the gland continues, worsening over time.

About 80,000 cases of acute pancreatitis occur in the United States each year. Pancreatitis can occur in people of all ages, although it is very rare in children. Pancreatitis occurs in men and women, although chronic pancreatitis is more common in men than in women.

Illustration of the Pancreas, Liver, and Gallbladder



Next: Pancreatitis Causes »

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Pancreatitis - Describe Your Experience

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The symptoms of pancreatitis can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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Pancreatitis

Abdominal Pain (Adults) »

Abdominal Pain in Adults Overview

Abdominal pain can range in intensity from a mild stomach ache to severe acute pain. The pain is often nonspecific and can be caused by a variety of conditions. Many organs are found within the abdominal cavity. Sometimes the pain is directly related to a specific organ such as the bladder or ovary. Usually, the pain originates in the digestive system. For example, the pain can be caused by appendicitis, diarrheal cramping, or food poisoning.

The type and location of pain may help the physician find the cause. The intensity and duration of pain must also be considered when making a diagnosis. A few general characteristics of abdominal pain are as follows:

  • Abdominal pain can be sharp, dull, stabbing, cramp-like, knifelike, twisting, or piercing. Many other types of pain are possible.

  • Abdominal pain can be brief, lasting for a few minutes, or it may persist for several hours a...

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Pancreatitis, Acute »

The pancreas is a gland located in the upper, posterior abdomen and is responsible for insulin production (endocrine pancreas) and the manufacture and secretion of digestive enzymes (exocrine pancreas) leading to carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.

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