[Etiology and diagnosis of acute pancreatitis]

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory process of pancreas with varying affliction of other tissues or organs. Both, exocrine and endocrine functions recover following the acute period. Its symptoms include abdominal pain and elevation of pancreatic enzymes within blood, urine and peritoneal fluid. The incidence of acute pancreatitis is approximately 20 cases/100,000 people in Europe and approximately 100 cases/100,000 people in the USA. The fact of mild predominance of this affliction in males is known.