Chronic pancreatitis in Jamaica

ABSTRACT

Thirty-five patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) treated with over a 15-year period were studied. There were 29 men and 6 women with a mean age of 47 years (range 21-67). Twenty-seven (77 percent) were chronic alcoholics, two (6 percent) had gallstones, one had stenosis of the Ampulla of Vater and in five (14 percent) no obvious cause was found. Thirty patients (86 percent) presented with abdominal pain. Chronic diarrhoea was present in 8 (23 percent), and steatorrhoea was documented in 6 of these. Fifteen (43 percent) had pancreatic calcifications. Five developed pseudocysts and 16 (46 percent) developed diabeted mellitus. Twelve patients required surgery. Three continue to have severe recurrent relapses of pain but the majority (91 percent) have had a relatively stable course with medical management. (AU)