End-stage chronic pancreatitis: a practical disease-descriptor.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Contemporary classification systems for chronic pancreatitis do not incorporate current knowledge of the disease biology of this condition. METHOD AND RESULTS: This paper presents three case summaries of patients with longstanding chronic pancreatitis with extra-pancreatic complications. The cases highlight the inadequacies of current terminology. The term "end-stage chronic pancreatitis" is applied to advanced disease and disease descriptors are defined. CONCLUSION: The term "end-stage chronic pancreatitis" is a practical and readily applicable disease descriptor.