Chronic pancreatitis.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

We review important new clinical observations in chronic pancreatitis made in the last year.

RECENT FINDINGS:

Cholecystokinin-stimulated endoscopic pancreatic function testing has low specificity for diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis, likely because of correctable technical limitations or failure to exclude confounding diseases. Fecal elastase 1 is a poor test for diagnosing pancreatic malabsorption. A 2-week trial of corticosteroids may differentiate autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) from pancreatic cancer in select patients. A genetic screen may help to predict relapse of AIP. Repeated, 6-month visits to counsel against alcohol use may reduce recurrent attacks of alcoholic pancreatitis. A five-component antioxidant cocktail may reduce the frequency of pain in chronic pancreatitis by 1.5 days per month.

SUMMARY:

Researchers this last year have further characterized clinical aspects of chronic pancreatitis that may lead to improved detection of early chronic pancreatitis and AIP, risk stratification and application of risk-lowering strategies to prevent relapses in AIP or the development of recurrent (and possibly chronic) alcoholic pancreatitis and new evidence that antioxidants may have a modest effect on reducing the dominant symptom in chronic pancreatitis, abdominal pain.

• Authors: Matthew J DiMagno, Eugene P DiMagno
• Journal: Current opinion in gastroenterology (Curr Opin Gastroenterol) Vol. 25 Issue 5 Pg. 454-9 (Sep 2009) ISSN: 1531-7056 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19535979 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Antioxidants
• Cholecystokinin
• Pancreatic Elastase

Topics

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Alcohol Drinking (adverse effects, prevention & control)
• Antioxidants (therapeutic use)
• Cholecystokinin
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Endoscopy
• Feces (enzymology)
• Genetic Testing
• Humans
• Pancreatic Elastase (analysis)
• Pancreatic Function Tests
• Pancreatitis, Chronic (diagnosis, drug therapy, genetics)