title: [Course of illness in acute pancreatitis].
abstract: The incidence of acute pancreatitis per year is estimated to be between 10 and 46 per 100,000 population. The mortality rate of acute edematous pancreatitis is below 1%, whereas patients suffering from hemorrhagic-necrotizing pancreatitis die in 10-24% of cases. In 80% acute pancreatitis is caused by either gallstone disease or excessive alcohol consumption. As of today no specific therapy has been developed for the treatment for acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is characterized by specific clinical and morphological alterations that occur in a time dependent manner. Frequently occurring complications are parenchymal necrosis (15-25%), multiorgan failure (10-26%), pancreatic pseudocysts (5-15%), recurrence of pancreatitis (21%) endocrine (6.5%) and exocrine (13-27%) insufficiency and a transition to chronic pancreatitis (10-25%).
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik B, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Albert Schweitzer-Strasse 33, 48129 Münster.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mayerle
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lerch
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D002423:Cause of Death; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate