What Is Chronic Pancreatitis?
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 pancreatitis 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.
Chronic Pancreatitis: Understanding the Pancreas
The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum, the upper part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes (lipase, protease, and amylase) into the small intestine through a tube called the pancreatic duct. These enzymes help digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body use the glucose it takes from food for energy.
Normally, digestive enzymes do not become active until they reach the small intestine, where they begin digesting food; however, if these enzymes become active inside the pancreas, they start "digesting" the pancreas itself.
Causes of Chronic Pancreatitis
- Alcoholism
- A blocked or narrowed pancreatic duct due to trauma or the formation of pseudocysts
- Heredity
- Unknown cause (idiopathic).
Other causes of chronic pancreatitis are:
- Congenital conditions (such as pancreas divisum)
- Cystic fibrosis
- High levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
- High levels of blood fats (hyperlipidemia or hypertriglyceridemia)
- Some drugs
- Certain autoimmune conditions.
Symptoms of Chronic Pancreatitis
Most people with chronic pancreatitis have symptoms that include abdominal pain. Some people, though, may have no pain at all. The pain may get worse when eating or drinking, spread to the back, or become constant and disabling.
In certain cases, abdominal pain goes away as the condition advances, probably because the pancreas is no longer making digestive enzymes.
Other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Fatty stools.
Diagnosing Chronic Pancreatitis
Besides asking about a person's medical history and doing a physical exam, a doctor will use certain tests to help diagnose chronic pancreatitis.
In more advanced stages of chronic pancreatitis, when
diabetes and malabsorption occur, a doctor can use a number of blood, urine, and stool tests to help diagnose chronic pancreatitis and to monitor its progression.
Treatments for Chronic Pancreatitis
Chronic Pancreatitis in Children
Chronic pancreatitis is rare in children. Trauma to the
pancreas and hereditary pancreatitis are two known causes of childhood pancreatitis. Children with
cystic fibrosis, a progressive, disabling, and incurable lung disease, may also have pancreatitis. But more often the cause is unknown.
Add this article to your Favorites
Email this article
Print