[Pancreatic changes in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by alcoholism]

Alcoholism in frequently associated to inflammatory lesions of the pancreas. The changes involved have been duly depicted in necropsis studies. In this paper we have evaluated the association of pancreatic changes in patients undergoing hepatic cirrhosis due to alcoholism by means of endoscopic pancreatography. Forty four patients were studied by endoscopic pancreatography, 25 males and 19 females. Their ages varied between 22 and 81 year old. Three groups were formed; the first one by 19 patients with hepatic cirrhosis due alcoholism; the second group by 7 patients with hepatic cirrhosis in whom no alcoholic antecedents could be ascertained; the third group was formed by 18 non alcoholic, non cirrhotic individuals. Pancreatography was performed by means of a JF-B3 duodenoscope. In 12 out of 19 patients with alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis, the pancreatography showed changes such as irregularities in the ducts, sacular formations, retarded emptying with partial filling, shortening and stenosis of the ducts, changes usually present in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Both in groups II and III no pathologic changes were found in pancreatography. From the radiologic standpoint alone one cannot eestablish the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, although we consider that the usefulness of the pancreatography is that of making quite apparent the above said alterations in the alcoholic cirrhotics patients and stablish the adequate therapeutic conduct.