Pancreatic duct lithiasis can be related to:
(1) familial stone formation (hereditary lithiasis)
(2) secondary to chronic pancreatitis (most common cause)
(3) secondary to intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor
(4) possibly malnutrition (although pancreatic disease can cause malabsorption which can cause malnutrition)
Clinical and radiologic findings:
(1) recurrent episodes of pancreatitis
(2) stone visualized on imaging studies (most are calcium-rich but some are radiolucent)
Reasons to consider hereditary stone formation:
(1) family history
(2) initial diagnosis at a young age
(3) no history of chronic pancreatitis
Hereditary pancreatic stone formation needs to be distinguished from hereditary pancreatitis with secondary stone formation.
