Clinical features of chronic pancreatitis in Korea: a multicenter nationwide study.
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.
Ryu
Ji Kon
JK
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.
Lee
Jun Kyu
JK
Kim
Yong-Tae
YT
Lee
Dong Ki
DK
Seo
Dong Wan
DW
Lee
Kyu Taek
KT
Kim
Ho Gak
HG
Kim
Jae Seon
JS
Lee
Hong Sik
HS
Kim
Tae Nyeun
TN
Rho
Myung Hwan
MH
Moon
Jong Ho
JH
Lee
Jin
J
Choi
Ho-Soon
HS
Lee
Woo Jin
WJ
Yoo
Byung Moo
BM
Yoon
Yong Bum
YB
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