Pancreas and liver injury are associated in individuals with increased alcohol consumption.
OBJECTIVE
Although chronic pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis are common sequelae of excess alcohol consumption, the 2 conditions are rarely associated. We studied the prevalence of simultaneous liver cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis in alcoholics.


METHODS
Postmortem autopsy data from 620 individuals with a history of excess alcohol consumption and 100 nonalcoholics (controls) were analyzed. The individuals were classified into groups based on macroscopic observations of pancreas (no injury, acute pancreatitis, fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis) and liver (no injury, moderate steatosis, severe steatosis, and cirrhosis). The same classification system was used for histological data, which was used to confirm and correlate macroscopic results.


RESULTS
Out of the 183 patients with liver cirrhosis, 33 (18%) had chronic pancreatitis and 93 (51%) had pancreatic fibrosis. Out of the 230 patients with severe steatosis, 37 (16%) had chronic pancreatitis and 97 (42%) were found to have a pancreatic fibrosis. Thirty-three (39%) with chronic pancreatitis also showed liver cirrhosis and 37 (44%) showed severe steatosis. Thirty-eight percent of the patients with a pancreatic fibrosis were found also to have liver cirrhosis and in another 40% severe steatosis. Thirty-five patients showed neither hepatic or pancreatic injury. We found no chronic pancreatitis or liver cirrhosis in the control group (n = 100).


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to common belief there is a close association between pancreatic and hepatic injury in patients with increased alcohol consumption, and the degree of organ damage between the 2 organs correlate.
Pace
Andrea
A
I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. pace@uke.uni-hamburg.de
de Weerth
Andreas
A
Berna
Marc
M
Hillbricht
Katharina
K
Tsokos
Michael
M
Bläker
Michael
M
Pueschel
Klaus
K
Lohse
Ansgar W
AW
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000438:Alcohols / Q000633:toxicity*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000438:Alcohols