1.What is chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis is a disease that causes local or diffuse tissue damage to the pancreas due to different etiologies, resulting in endocrine and exocrine insufficiency of the pancreas. The pathology is characterized by pancreatic fibrosis.
2.How does chronic pancreatitis come about?
The main causes of chronic pancreatitis are recurrent acute pancreatitis, biliary tract disease, excessive alcohol consumption, overeating, hyperlipidemia and hyperparathyroidism.
3. Is the incidence of chronic pancreatitis high?
Recent clinical studies have shown an increasing trend in the incidence of chronic pancreatitis in China. This may be related to the improvement of people’s living standards and changes in dietary habits. A multicenter epidemiological survey found that the number of CP cases in China rose year by year from 48 cases in 1995 to 346 cases in 2003, with a peak at 6O years of age and a male to female sex ratio of 1.86:1, but the incidence of CP is actually much higher.
4.What are the dangers of chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis can lead to a variety of diseases, in addition to severe abdominal pain that is difficult to control, often complicated by stones in the pancreatic duct, extensive calcification of the pancreas and the formation of pseudocysts, as well as impaired endocrine function of the pancreas will appear diabetes, steatorrhea, indigestion, etc. The most serious is that patients with chronic pancreatitis are 17 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than the normal population.
5.How do we know if we have chronic pancreatitis?
China mainly adopts the 1987 Guilin diagnostic criteria, which mainly include.
(1) Histological examination of the pancreas is consistent with CP;
(2) clear pancreatic calcification and stones;
(3) there are typical symptoms and signs of CP; there is obvious pancreatic exocrine dysfunction; imaging examinations such as ERCP have typical CP features; excluding pancreatic cancer. It is best to go to a qualified hospital for detailed examination.
6.What are the imaging examinations for chronic pancreatitis?
Mainly B ultrasound, the sensitivity of CP diagnosis is only 58.9%-70.3%; CT sensitivity is 50%-90%, the specificity is 55%-85%; MRI (diagnostic value is similar to CT, but the diagnostic value of calcification and pancreatic stones is inferior to CT); duodenoscopy is the gold standard in all imaging examinations of chronic pancreatitis, and is the best standard after histological examination The accuracy rate can reach more than 90%, and also has the advantage of treatment; ultrasound endoscopy combines the advantages of both ultrasound and endoscopy, which makes up for the shortcomings and shortcomings of a single examination method, and has its own unique features for the diagnosis of CP.
7.Is there a highly targeted laboratory test?
There is a lack of sensitive and convenient laboratory tests, and the main tests commonly used in clinical practice are pancreatic enzyme measurement, blood glucose and blood calcium.
8.What are the treatment methods for chronic pancreatitis?
Conservative treatment is suitable for patients with acute attacks of chronic pancreatitis, mainly symptomatic treatment such as inhibition of pancreatic enzyme secretion and pain relief, but for patients with long-term abdominal pain that cannot be relieved, duodenoscopic treatment can be considered to solve the obstruction of the pancreatic ducts, while concurrent pancreatic duct stones and pancreatic pseudocysts can be treated, and surgery can be considered for a small number of patients who repeatedly persist.
9.What do patients with chronic pancreatitis need to pay attention to in general?
They should pay attention to less alcohol consumption, avoid overeating, early prevention and treatment of biliary tract diseases, active treatment of their complications, as well as regular review and prevention of cancer.
10.What should I pay attention to in terms of diet for patients with chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis is prone to diarrhea (diarrhea when eating meat and oil), so patients are prone to malnutrition and should eat foods rich in nutrients, such as fish, lean meat, protein, tofu, etc. Carbohydrates such as rice and noodles and fresh vegetables should be eaten appropriately, but each meal should not be too full.