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.