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Review
. 2021 Nov 20;13(11):e19764.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.19764. eCollection 2021 Nov.

A Clinical Overview of Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis: The Medical and Surgical Management

Hamza Ashraf  1 , John Paul Colombo  2   3 , Vincent Marcucci  4 , Jonathan Rhoton  5 , Oluwatofunmi Olowoyo  6
Affiliations
Review

A Clinical Overview of Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis: The Medical and Surgical Management

Hamza Ashraf et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

An inflammatory process involving the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, can be categorized as either acute or chronic and may present in one of many ways. The clinical manifestations of acute pancreatitis are generally limited to epigastric or right upper quadrant pain, while manifestations of chronic pancreatitis are broader and may include abdominal pain in tandem with signs and symptoms of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. An understanding of the initial insult, proper classification, and prognosis are all factors that are of paramount importance as it pertains to managing patients who are afflicted with this disease. Our review delves into the depths of pancreatitis by exploring the embryology and anatomy of the pancreas, the pathophysiology and etiology of acute and chronic pancreatitis, and the medical and surgical management of acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Keywords: pancreas disease; pancreatitis; pancreatitis causes; surgery; surgical management of pancreatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Depiction of the final gross anatomical changes associated with the Whipple, Frey, Beger, and Puestow procedures.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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