[Chronic calcified pancreatitis. Our experience].

Forty five cases of chronic pancreatitis have been diagnosed between January 1966 to July 1983 in the Hospital A. Posadas. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of one or more of the following data: pancreatic calcifications positive in 35, abnormal secretin test 37, ultrasonography and computed tomography pathological findings 10. Surgical operations were carried out in 25 patients and biopsy taken in 5. Thirty nine (86.6%) were males, 6 (13.3%) females, the mean age in each group was 47.4 and 39.8 years. Chronic alcoholism was certain in 41 (91.9) patients, in the remainder 4 no other etiologic factors were found. The main clinical data were: Weight loss 38 (84.4%) diabetes 34 (75.5%) pain 33 (73.3% in 7 as acute pancreatitis) Steatorrhea 23 (51.1%) jaundice 16 (35.5%- 11 by extrahepatic biliary tree obstruction, 5 by hepatic cirrhosis) pseudocysts 12 (26.6%). The more common associated diseases were: hepatic cirrhosis 6, fatty liver 2 (17.7%) gastroduodenal ulcer 6 (13.3%) cancer 4 (8.8%--gastric 1, pancreatic 3). In order to study the frequency of the clinical data the patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of calcifications and the etiologic factor Symptoms and signs were matched and statistic analysis (coefficient association phi) was made. Only a moderate association between acute pancreatitis in no calcified group and diabetes in calcified group were found. The chronologic study of certains clinical data shows that acute pancreatitis, jaundice, pseudo-cyst and surgical operations were significative more frequent in the first five years while diabetes has little more frequency in the second five year period. Twenty six surgical operations were carried out in 25 patients; 20 (76.9%) due to complications, 6 (23.1%) secondary to pain (pancreatic resection 3, pancreatoyeyunostomy 2, exploration 1). Twenty three patients were lost to follow-up, 12 died and 10 are still alive. This last group was followed at regular period, 8 remained asymptomatic and 2 have intermittent abdominal pain related to alcoholic ingestion.