[Classification and clinical presentation of pancreatitis]

All pancreatitis share identical clinical features, which are evocative of a pancreatic disease; the diagnosis will be established by an enhanced level of pancreatic enzymes in the blood. Actually, we have to consider of one hand acute pancreatitis which heal completely when the cause has been treated (whatever it is of pancreatic or of extra-pancreatic origin) and on the other hand chronic pancreatitis characterized by the presence of fibrosis. Among chronic pancreatitis, one distinguishes chronic obstructive pancreatitis, upstream of an obstacle on the main pancreatic duct from chronic calcifying pancreatitis which is characterized by a diffuse, heterogeneous destruction of acinar tissue, replaced by dense fibrosis, the main etiology of which still remains alcohol.