Clinical profile of calcific and noncalcific chronic pancreatitis in north India.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical profile of calcific and noncalcific chronic pancreatitis (CP) in north India.


BACKGROUND
The profile of calcific CP has not been adequately studied.


METHODS
Detailed demographic data were recorded; hematologic, biochemical, and radiologic investigations were carried out on 225 patients with CP. The patients were divided into calcific and noncalcific groups based on the presence of pancreatic calcification, which was detected on computed tomography.


RESULTS
Calcific CP was reported in 46.7% of the patients and noncalcific CP in 53.3%. The mean age, duration of symptoms before presentation, sex ratio, body mass index, and frequency of various symptoms and complications including abdominal pain, ascites, pleural effusion, and segmental portal hypertension was not statistically different between the 2 groups. However, pseudocysts occurred more frequently in noncalcific CP, whereas jaundice because of bile duct stricture, diabetes mellitus, and steatorrhea occurred more frequently in patients with calcific CP (P<0.05). On comparing calcific and noncalcific alcoholic pancreatitis, only steatorrhea was reported more frequently in patients with calcific alcoholic CP. However, pseudocysts and segmental portal hypertension occurred more frequently in noncalcific idiopathic CP, whereas diabetes mellitus occurred more frequently in patients with calcific idiopathic CP (P<0.05). On comparing calcific alcoholic CP with calcific idiopathic CP, we found significantly lower mean age in patients with idiopathic CP and a higher frequency of male patients and pseudocysts in alcoholic CP (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Calcific CP has a higher frequency of bile duct stricture, diabetes mellitus, and steatorrhea, whereas noncalcific CP has higher frequency of pseudocysts and segmental portal hypertension.
Department of Gastroenterology, Surgery and Radiodiagnosis, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. deepakkbhasin@gmail.com
Deepak Kumar
DK
Bhasin
Surinder S
SS
Rana
Vijant S
VS
Chandail
Gursewak
G
Singh
Rajesh
R
Gupta
Mandeep
M
Kang
Saroj K
SK
Sinha
Kartar
K
Singh
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D045602:Steatorrhea / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult