Chronic Pancreatitis: Managing a Difficult Disease

Phil A. Hart, Darwin L. Conwell

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by progressive, irreversible morphologic and functional changes that are most commonly attributed to environmental insults, particularly when there is a genetic or anatomic predisposition. Heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking are the most common environmental risk factors, but both may be absent. Antecedent episodes of acute pancreatitis occur in about half of patients. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom and requires a tailored approach depending on the anatomic changes in the pancreas. Other clinical manifestations include diabetes mellitus, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, metabolic bone disease, pancreatic cancer, and anatomic complications. Current disease management is centered on risk factor reduction and screening for and treating disease complications. There are no current therapies to delay or retard disease progression, but there are ongoing efforts to more fully understand the natural history of chronic pancreatitis and underlying mechanisms of disease. These studies are expected to provide insights that will transform our approach to disease management and provide increased hope to patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-55
Number of pages7
JournalAmerican Journal of Gastroenterology
Volume115
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Guarantor of the article: Phil Hart, MD. Specific author contributions: P.A.H.: literature search, drafting of original manuscript, review and intellectual input into revisions, and approval of final manuscript. D.L.C.: review and intellectual input into revisions, and approval of final manuscript. Financial support: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under award number U01DK108327 (P.A.H., D.L.C.). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Potential conflicts of interests: P.A.H. has received consulting and honorarium fees from Kangen Pharmaceuticals and Abbvie, Inc.

Funding Information:
Financial support: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under award number U01DK108327 (P.A.H., D.L.C.). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by The American College of Gastroenterology.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hepatology
  • Gastroenterology

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