Chronic pancreatitis

Alternative names:

chronic relapsing pancreatitis

Symptoms:

• abdominal pain
  • greatest in the upper abdomen, may be in the middle of the upper abdomen
  • may last from hours to days, eventually may be continuous
  • may be worse by eating or drinking
  • may be worse from alcohol
  • may radiate to the back

• nausea
• vomiting
• weight loss
• fatty stools

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• swelling, overall
• stools, clay colored
• abdominal indigestion

Signs and tests:

• serum lipase may be elevated
• serum amylase may be elevated
• serum trypsinogen may be low
• fecal fat test shows fatty stools

Inflammation of the pancreas may be evident on:

• abdominal CT scan
• abdominal ultrasound
• ERCP

An exploratory laparotomy may be performed to confirm diagnosis.