Pancreatic tissue fluid pressure in chronic pancreatitis. Relation to pain, morphology, and function.
The relation between pancreatic tissue fluid pressure and pain, morphology, and function was studied in a cross-sectional investigation. Pressure measurements were performed by percutaneous fine-needle puncture. Thirty-nine patients with chronic pancreatitis were included, 25 with pain and 14 without pain. The pressure was higher in patients with pain than in patients without pain (p = 0.000001), and this was significantly related to a pain score from a visual analogue scale (p less than 0.001). Patients with pancreatic pseudocysts had both higher pressure and higher pain score than patients without (p = 0.004 and p = 0.0003, respectively). The pressure was significantly related (inversely) to pancreatic duct diameter only in the group of 19 patients with earlier pancreatic surgery (R = -0.57, p = 0.02). The pressure was not related to functional factors or the presence of pancreatic calcifications. In conclusion, pancreatic tissue fluid pressure is a valuable indicator of pain in chronic pancreatitis.
Ebbehøj
N
N
Dept. of Surgical Gastroenterology, University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
Borly
L
L
Bülow
J
J
Rasmussen
S G
SG
Madsen
P
P
Matzen
P
P
Owre
A
A
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010179:Pancreas / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011312:Pressure