Description

Tropical chronic pancreatitis is a form of chronic pancreatitis that occurs in the developing countries of the tropics. While several mechanisms have been proposed, the precise cause is uncertain.


 

Synonyms include: tropical calcific pancreatitis, tropical pancreatic diabetes, nutritional pancreatitis, juvenile pancreatitis, fibrocalculous pancreatopathy, fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes

 

Clinical features:

(1) younger age of onset (second or third decade)

(2) relatively rapid course

(3) not related to alcohol abuse

(4) presence of large calculi within the pancreatic ducts

(5) marked dilatation of the pancreatic ducts with diffuse fibrosis of the parenchyma

(6) typically the patient is very lean

 

Classic clinical triad:

(1) abdominal pain

(2) steatorrhea

(3) pancreatitic diabetes

 

Complications:

(1) high rate of pancreatic carcinoma

(2) pseudocysts

(3) pancreatic abscess

(4) ascites

(5) complications of diabetes

 


To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.