title: Analysis of the clinical features of recurrent acute pancreatitis in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since few systematic studies have focused on recurrent acute pancreatitis in China, we sought to investigate its clinical features, including etiological factors and relative frequency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were selected from a total 1471 patients with acute pancreatitis in ten cities of China. All had been admitted to a hospital with an attack of acute pancreatitis between January 1992 and December 2002. Data for each patient was recorded on a standardized form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1471 patients with acute pancreatitis, 157 (10.7%) had recurrent acute pancreatitis. The majority (63%) were male, with a mean age of 41 years (range, 13-82 years). Regarding the etiology, alcohol (20.4%) and cholelithiasis (20.4%) were the most frequent causes, followed by diet (13.4%), hypertriglyceridemia (8.3%), biliary tract infection (5.7%), other (5.1%), and idiopathic factors (26.8%). Alcohol was most frequent in male patients (30.3%), whereas cholelithiasis was most frequent (34.5%) in female patients. The majority of patients (79.6%) presented with their second attack of pancreatitis. Complications of recurrent acute pancreatitis in order of frequency were pancreatic pseudocyst, multiple organ failure, diabetes mellitus type 2, and shock.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recurrent acute pancreatitis remains a frequent disease, with cholelithiasis and alcohol being the most usual etiological factors. Alcohol is the primary etiological factor in male patients. In about 26.8% of cases, the etiology remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Yan Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yan Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shen Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guo Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xian Zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Liu Ye
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Sheng An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Chun An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fu Xian
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002681:China; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012008:Recurrence