Demographic and clinicopathological profile of patients with chronic pancreatitis in a tertiary referral teaching hospital of West Bengal: Personal experience

Background There is a paucity of data on the demographic and clinicopathological profiles of patients with chronic pancreatitis from the eastern part of India. This study documents the demographic and clinicopathological profiles of patients with chronic pancreatitis presenting to a general surgery unit of a tertiary referral hospital of Kolkata. Methods The records of 145 patients presenting with chronic pancreatitis over a 5-year period were scrutinized and their demographics, clinical profile, and complications and morphological changes of the pancreas are described. Results Of the 145 patients, more than 50% were under the age of 30 years. Males were affected more frequently than females (M/F=3.8: 1). While idiopathic pancreatitis was the most common form of chronic pancreatitis (41.4 %), alcohol was found to be the most common etiology (37.9 %). Pain was the most common presenting symptom (n=143; 98.6 %). Sixty-five subjects (45 %) had diabetes of which 32 subjects were insulin-dependent. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography, ductal dilatation was seen in 80 (55.17 %) subjects, while ductal calculi and ductal dilatation in 54 cases (37.2 %). Parenchymal calcification was seen in 45 patients of whom 40 patients (89 %) were under the age of 30 years. Pseudocyst was the most common complication (n=16) followed by biliary obstruction (n=8) and portal hypertension (n=4). Patients with alcoholic pancreatitis had significantly higher frequency of severe abdominal pain, diabetes, and local complications as compared to the other forms of pancreatitis in our study. Conclusion Idiopathic pancreatitis was the most common form of chronic pancreatitis in this study, followed by alcoholic pancreatitis and then tropical pancreatitis.