title: Chronic pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As in previous reviews in this journal, this review is focused on the most important new observations in chronic pancreatitis made in the past year and the beginning of this year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Important observations include the following: first, the natural history and course of chronic pancreatitis; second, that smoking enhances the risk of chronic pancreatitis; third, possible new function tests in combination with imaging procedures; fourth, the superiority of surgery compared with endotherapy for long-term pain relief; fifth, new insights in autoimmune pancreatitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All in all, little progress has recently been made in the field of diagnosis and therapy of chronic pancreatitis. There are some studies in the field of endotherapy and autoimmune pancreatitis that are promising however.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Clinic of Lüneburg, Germany. paulgeorg.lankisch@klinikum-lueneburg.de
authors.forename: Paul Georg
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lankisch
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D010181:Pancreatic Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy