title: Chronic pancreatitis in Jamaica.
abstract: Thirty-five patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) treated 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%) were chronic alcoholics, two (6%) had gallstones, one had stenosis of the Ampulla of Vater and in five (14%) no obvious cause was found. Thirty patients (86%) presented with abdominal pain. Chronic diarrhoea was present in 8 (23%), and steatorrhoea was documented in 6 of these. Fifteen (43%) had pancreatic calcifications. Five developed pseudocysts and 16 (46%) developed diabetes mellitus. Twelve patients required surgery. Three continue to have severe recurrent relapses of pain but the majority (91%) have had a relatively stable course with medical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, U.W.I., Jamaica.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Royes
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors