title: Progression of recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis: A short-term follow up study from a southern Indian centre.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little data exist on the progression of recurrent acute (RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) from regions from where the entity of tropical chronic pancreatitis was originally described. The study aimed to follow up patients with RAP and CP seen at a southern Indian centre for progression of disease over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospectively enrolled patients with RAP and CP were followed up, and the alcoholic and idiopathic subgroups were assessed for progression of structural and functional changes in the organ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and forty patients (RAP = 44; 31.4 %, CP = 96; 68.5 %) were followed up over a median 12.2 (interquartile range 12.0-16.8) months. The cause was alcohol in 31 (22.1 %) and not evident in 109 (77.8 %). The disease progressed from RAP to CP in 7 (15.9 %), 6 (16.2 %) out of 37 in the idiopathic and 1 (14.2 %; p = 1.00) out of 7 in the alcoholic subgroups. Three (42.8 %) and 1 (14.2 %) developed steatorrhea and diabetes mellitus (DM), respectively, and 2 (4.5 %) developed calcification. Established CP progressed in 19 (19.7 %), 1 (1.0 %), 5 (5.2 %), 2 (2.0 %) and 11 (11.4 %) newly developed DM, steatorrhea, calcification and duct dilation during follow up. Among the idiopathic and alcoholic CP, disease progression was seen in 15 (20.8 %) out of 72 and 4 (16.6 %) out of 24 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Idiopathic RAP and CP progressed during the short-term follow up. This is similar to other etiological forms of pancreatitis, as described from elsewhere in the world.
authors: Department of Physiology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal University, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, 576 104, India.
authors: M Ganesh
authors: MG
authors: Kamath
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, 576 104, India. cgpai@yahoo.co.in.
authors: C Ganesh
authors: CG
authors: Pai
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, 576 104, India.
authors: Asha
authors: A
authors: Kamath
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D045602:Steatorrhea / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic pancreatitis; Longitudinal studies; Recurrent acute pancreatitis; Steatorrhea; Tropical pancreatitis