Pain of chronic pancreatitis: etiology, natural history, therapy

The pain of chronic pancreatitis can be tremendously disabling. The pathogenesis of this pain is still poorly understood, but there is good evidence demonstrating an inverse relationship with the degree of pancreatic insufficiency. Pancreatic enzyme therapy of pain and celiac plexus blocks carry promise, but larger studies with these modalities are needed. Surgery for pain relief is the last resort and should be based on pancreatic duct anatomy.