Dr Tansukh Choudhary

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Pancreatitis

What is pancreas and what is pancreatitis?

The pancreas is a large gland in the abdomen near the stomach and intestine.

The pancreas does two main things:
  • It releases powerful digestive enzymes into the intestine to digest the food.
  • It releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help in control of blood sugar.

Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes swollen and inflamed. During pancreatitis the digestive enzymes of the pancreas become activated before they are released into the intestine and begin attacking the pancreas itself.

What are the types of pancreatitis?
There are two forms of pancreatitis: acute and chronic.
  • Acute pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It may range from mild discomfort to a severe, life-threatening illness. Most people with acute pancreatitis recover completely after getting the right treatment. In severe cases, acute pancreatitis can result into: necrosis or death of the pancreatic tissue; bleeding into the gland; infection, and cyst formation. Severe pancreatitis can also harm other vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
  • Chronic pancreatitis: Chronic pancreatitis is long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas. Heavy alcohol drinking is an important cause. Damage to the pancreas from heavy alcohol use may not cause symptoms for many years, but then the person may suddenly develop severe pancreatitis symptoms.
What are the symptoms of acute pancreatitis?
The symptoms of acute pancreatitis include:
    • Upper abdominal pain that radiates into the back; it may be aggravated by eating, especially foods high in fat.
    • Swollen and tender abdomen
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Fever
    • Increased heart rate
What are the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis?
Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis are:
      • Frequently episodes of pain in the upper abdomen that may radiate to the back
      • Weight loss
      • Diarrhea
      • Steatorrhea (oily stools)
      • Backache
      • Diabetes mellitus
How is pancreatitis diagnosed?

To diagnose acute pancreatitis, doctors measure levels in the blood of two digestive enzymes, amylase and lipase. High levels of these two enzymes strongly suggest acute pancreatitis.

Other tests to diagnose acute pancreatitis are: ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI scan, Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and ERCP.

To diagnose chronic pancreatitis following tests are used: MRCP, EUS, CT scan, stool fat estimation, and ERCP.