Drug Induced Acute Pancreatitis / 대한췌담도학회지

ABSTRACT

Drug induced acute pancreatitis (AP) is considered a relative rare disease. It has no distinguishing clinical features and physician may ignore the possibility of that due to lack of clinical recognition. Although estimates of the relative frequency with which drugs causes AP vary widely, there is a difficulty in proving the causal relationship between drug and pancreatitis. Therefore, a careful history taking and high index of suspicion is required for making a correct diagnosis. Drug induced AP is classified (class I-IV) based on previous literatures demonstrating the latent period and rechallenge reaction. Generally, class I and II drugs have the greatest potential for causing AP. In conclusion, physicians should be more aware of the possibility of drug induced AP in patients with unexplained AP and treat appropriately by discontinuation of the offending drugs. Besides, well designed epidemiological studies are needed to better define the frequency and specific risk of pancreatitis associated with any individual drug in Korea.