[Causes and treatment of jaundice associated with inflammatory pancreatic disease (author's transl)]

Jaundice or biliary stasis occurred in 32 of 82 patients with acute and 58 of 152 patients with chronic pancreatitis. A biliary cause was present in only 12 patients with acute and 19 with chronic pancreatitis. In the case of mild acute pancreatitis the cause of the jaundice lay in oedema of the head of the pancreas, while in the severe forms there was necrosis of the head. In chronic pancreatitis the jaundice is caused by tube-like, long stenosis of the choledochal duct or its compression by a cyst within the head of the pancreas. In acute pancreatitis treatment depends on the severity of the inflammation; in the biliary form the biliary tracts are attended to. In chronic pancreatitis resection of the head of the pancreas is preferred, biliodigestive anastomosis being practised if there is likely to be poor cooperation by the patient.