Alcohol abuse and chronic pancreatitis.

The relationship between alcohol abuse and pancreatitis is now better defined than it once was. However, the effects of abstinence on the outcome of treatment are less clear, although it is generally assumed that abstinence is associated with a better outcome. The present study of 28 alcoholics confirms the importance of abstinence and demonstrates an important relationship between narcotic abuse and continued drinking. This suggests a profound psychosocial disturbance in a patient unlikely to benefit from surgery. These findings justify recommending other approaches to the management of patients with chronic pancreatitis who are likely to continue to drink, particularly when there is a history of significant narcotic abuse.