Epidemiology of chronic pancreatitis: burden of the disease and consequences

Abstract

The epidemiology of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is incompletely understood. A number of difficulties exist in estimating the prevalence and incidence of CP. Long-term follow-up is often problematic, especially in chronic alcoholics, and obtaining a formal and standardised diagnosis can take years. The available studies are reasonably consistent in their estimation of the incidence of CP but few studies have attempted to estimate prevalence. Although life expectancy in CP is diminished compared with control populations, median survival lies in the range of 15-20 years. Such a survival would suggest a prevalence of CP rather higher than that determined from the survey studies. A recent epidemiological study in France found an annual incidence of 7.8 per 100,000. Assuming a survival of 15-20 years, the annual prevalence should be between 120 to 143 per 100,000. Overall, our understanding of the epidemiology of CP is poor compared with other illnesses. We consider that both prevalence and the rate of pancreatic insufficiency and of CP are currently underestimated. There is a distinct need for more studies to remedy this lack of knowledge.

Waterlow score as a surrogate marker for predicting adverse outcome in acute pancreatitis

“…2 Although the aetiology and pathophysiology of this condition have been studied extensively, outcome still remains unpredictable and it imposes a large burden on current clinical practice. 3 While mild pancreatitis usually resolves spontaneously with basic supportive care alone, moderate and severe disease typically requires significantly more intensive management, often necessitating admission to critical care units. 4 Mortality is uncommon in mild pancreatitis but may reach up to 50% in severe episodes.…”

Etiologic Link Between Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer; A Unicentric Experience of Pancreatic Disease Institute of Wuhan Union Hospital of China

“…(4) The body and tail of pancreas as a location has been showed by many publications [1,13]. (5) The incidence of both diseases increased simultaneously in many countries [29,32]. (6) Man was more affected in both groups than female with a sex ratio of nearly 2:1(p=0.001,table 1).Clinical symptoms were of no great value since they hardly differ in PC and CP.…”

Chronic pancreatitis. Multicentre prospective data collection and analysis by the Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group

“…The incidence is 11.9/100,000 in Japan [5], 10/100,000 in Denmark [6], 6.4/100,000 in Germany [7], 7.7/100,000 in France [8] and 7.8/100,000 in the Czech Republic [9]. The limits of epidemiological surveys derive from the need for long-term followup and the variability of the severity of the disease [10]. The median survival time in alcoholic CP is 20-24 years after the onset of the disease [11].…”