title: Idiopathic acute pancreatitis.
abstract: After routine investigations, including a thorough history, routine laboratory study, and noninvasive imaging with transcutaneous ultrasonogram, 10% to 25% of cases of acute pancreatitis have no readily identifiable cause and are termed idiopathic. But modern medicine has made notable advances in uncovering various causes of acute pancreatitis, and several new diagnostic tools that allow clinicians to less invasively approach the patient without sacrificing the diagnostic yield have been introduced. By being knowledgeable of these new changes and by their proper use in a proper circumstances, clinicians will be able to find the cause more accurately and earlier. This better management will not only improve the well-being of the patients but also reduce the number of "true" idiopathic acute pancreatitis to a minimum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung-Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Sang-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Wan
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy