Chronic pancreatitis: prospects for early detection: A review

Abstract

Over the last 10 years, the incidence of chronic pancreatitis (CP) has increased 4 times and nowadays is about 27.450 cases per 100 000 adults. In the outpatient gastroenterologist practice, patients with CP account for about 3545%, in the hospital gastroenterology department up to 2045%. CP criteria according to imaging methods fibrosis, duct dilatation and deformation, calcifications in the pancreatic parenchyma or its atrophy are formed at a late stage of the disease. Simultaneously, diagnosis at the early stage with potentially reversible changes remains difficult, due to the lack of clear instrumental and laboratory findings confirming minimal changes in the pancreas. However, some methods in combination with a detailed history taking, risk factors identification in comparison with the clinical features are of interest for the early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.