Chronic pancreatitis in Jamaica

Thirty-five patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) treated over a 15-year-period were studied. There were 29 men and 6 women with a mean age of 47 years (range 21-67). Twenty-seven (77%) were chronic alcoholics, two (6%) had gallstones, one had stenosis of the Ampulla of Vater and in five (14%) no obvious cause was found. Thirty patients (86%) presented with abdominal pain. Chronic diarrhoea was present in 8 (23%), and steatorrhoea was documented in 6 of these. Fifteen (43%) had pancreatic calcifications. Five developed pseudocysts and 16 (46%) developed diabetes mellitus. Twelve patients required surgery. Three continue to have severe recurrent relapses of pain but the majority (91%) have had a relatively stable course with medical management.