Relapsing pancreatitis in association with Crohn's disease

Two adolescent girls, aged 15 and 18, in whom the diagnosis of Crohn's ileocolitis had been made 6 months and 3 years previously, developed acute pancreatitis with relapses of varying duration and severity. The younger patient's condition progressed to chronic relapsing pancreatitis with intractable pain despite partial pancreatectomy. The other has had recurrent acute attacks but has been well between bouts. No duodenal involvement could be found in the two cases and there was no evidence to implicate drugs as a factor responsible for this rare association between pancreatitis and Crohn's disease.