[Correlation of alcohol consumption and pancreatitis in Hungary]

Alcoholic etiology of acute pancreatitis is outstanding high in Hungary. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the etiology of patients of 5 years. Between 1990 and 1994 altogether 374 patients were admitted with acute pancreatitis, which is three and half times higher than between 1970 and 1974. From the 374 cases 220 had alcoholic and only 115 had biliary etiology. Altogether in 127 patients developed necrosis, the rate of alcoholic etiology was 80% in this subgroup. During the last two decades the trend of alcohol consumption became one of the most burning question in Hungary. Based on the Jellinek's formula alcohologists estimate the number of alcoholics more than one million. The number of pancreatitis related death multiplied almost four times between 1970 and 1994. The doubling of alcohol consumption was practically simultaneous with the increase of morbidity and mortality of pancreatitis. Hungary shows the most disfavourable distribution of drink varieties among the high-consuming countries in Europe.