Long-term follow-up of patients with chronic pancreatitis in Italy.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the epidemiologic, clinical, and radiologic aspects of a mixed medicosurgical series of chronic pancreatitis patients observed at the University of Verona Centre for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases over the period 1971-1995.


METHODS
Even though the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis has yet to be clarified and the classification is still debatable, the patients were subdivided in accordance with the Marseilles-Rome classification into those with alcoholic, obstructive, familial, and idiopathic forms of the disease. A total of 715 patients were analysed with a median follow-up period of 10 years (range, 1-25 years).


CONCLUSIONS
At the end of follow-up the dropout rate amounted to 7.1% (51 patients), and 176 patients (24.6%) had died. Data are reported about the type of chronic pancreatitis, sex, and age distribution at the onset of the disease, drinking and smoking habits before onset and during follow-up, and incidence of calcifications, pain, diabetes, steatorrhoea, and pseudocysts. Surgical aspects, survival curves, and causes of death are also analysed, and the most frequent concomitant diseases in chronic pancreatitis sufferers are discussed.
Cavallini
G
G
Dept. of Surgery and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.
Frulloni
L
L
Pederzoli
P
P
Talamini
G
G
Bovo
P
P
Bassi
C
C
Di Francesco
V
V
Vaona
B
B
Falconi
M
M
Sartori
N
N
Angelini
G
G
Brunori
M P
MP
Filippini
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate