[History of the pancreas and the evolution of concepts and classification of pancreatitis]

In this paper we will try to compile briefly the most important historical facts on the pancreas, and how the concepts and classification about its major disorder, pancreatitis, has evolved. In older times, the pancreas was ignored, both as an organ and as a focus of disease. The first description of the pancreas is attributed to Herophilus. It was in the 18th century that the main duct of Wirsung was described as well as its first cannulations to perform studies on pancreatic secretion. In 1889, Fitz established pancreatitis as a nosdogic disease. In 1901, Opie proposed his "common channel" hypothesis. In 1927, Elman described the serum amylase test. In 1963, the first Marseilles Symposium favored a clinic pathologic classification of pancreatitis. In 1984 the second Marseilles Symposium revised that classification. Finally, in 1992, the Atlanta Symposium established a clinically based classification system for acute pancreatitis. In the years to come, we expect further refinements in the classifications, as MRI and innovative technologies become increasingly sophisticated.