A pancreatography study of chronic calcific pancreatitis of the tropics

Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis of Tropics is a disease of unknown aetiology and is characterised by chronic pancreatitis with calcification in young persons who present with pain, diabetes, and/or steatorrhoea. ERCP performed on 42 patients with this condition revealed changes compatible with chronic pancreatitis. These changes were however, more marked and somewhat different from those seen in the alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Cystic dilatation, tortuosity, and obstruction of the main pancreatic duct were similar to that in alcoholic pancreatitis. The features of CCPT that were different from those of latter, were large pancreatic calculi, absence of strictures/stenosis and absence of irregularity of the ductal wall. The calculi were predominantly in the head region of the pancreas causing maximal dilatation of the main pancreatic duct in the head of pancreas. The secondary branches were stunted, short and scanty but revealed a lower grade of changes, than the changes documented in the main pancreatic duct. The pancreatic ductal changes in CCPT seems to be different from that seen in chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and may be due to the difference in the pathophysiology of the underlying disease.