[Pancreatitis in rheumatoid arthritis found in autopsy material]

Authors have studied in autopsy samples of 80 patients having suffered from rheumatoid arthritis the incidence and types of pancreatitis. There were 6 acute, 4 chronic-recurrent and 11 chronic severe or moderately severe pancreatitis observed. In the ethiology of pancreatites the ductal origin, cholelithiasis and uraemia were not found to be of exclusively significance. In 3 cases a pancreatitis was found accompanied by vasculitis and a typical histological pattern characterized by the vasculitis-thrombovasculitis of arterioles and small arteries with simultaneously occurring necrotic foci. In one case a pancreatitis due to severe amyloidosis could be verified. Authors draw attention to the frequent occurrence of pancreatitis in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and the difficulties of a clinical diagnosis.