title: Clinical features of chronic pancreatitis in Korea: a multicenter nationwide study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No reliable nationwide clinical data about chronic pancreatitis (CP) was available in Korea. The etiology and clinical features of CP were investigated using a multicenter nationwide study.
  
  
  METHODS
  814 cases of CP were enrolled retrospectively over the past 4 years at 13 hospitals. The following data were obtained from all patients: etiology, symptoms, complications, and surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol (64.3%) was the major cause of CP and idiopathic CP (20.8%) was the second most common form. Mean patient age was 50.6 years and the male:female ratio was 6:1 (24:1 for alcoholic CP vs. 2:1 in idiopathic CP, p < 0.001). Diabetes (31.6%), pseudocysts (28.4%), biliary stricture (13.9%), and pancreatic ascites (6.6%) were the main complications. Of these, diabetes (35 vs. 26%) and pseudocyst (33.7 vs. 21.9%) were more frequent in alcoholic than in idiopathic CP. Pancreatic cancer developed in 25 patients (3.1%) during follow-up and their mean age was 59.1 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Korea, alcohol is the most common etiology of CP. Moreover, diabetes and pseudocysts are frequent complications, especially in alcoholic CP, and pancreatic cancer development is not infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Korean Multicenter Study Group on Chronic Pancreatitis, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yungon-dong, Chongno-gu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Kon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jun Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yong-Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Ki
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Wan
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Kyu Taek
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Gak
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hong Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae Nyeun
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: Jong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho-Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Woo Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung Moo
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Yong Bum
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution