Follow-up study of chronic pancreatitis.

The general profile of pain in the evolution of pancreatitis was analysed in relation to exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function in 127 patients with primary chronic pancreatitis followed up over 3 years. Pain decreased or disappeared in 67.8% and 55.9% of calcifying pancreatitis, respectively. While pancreatic exocrine function remained abnormal in spite of an improvement of pain in 72% of 18 patients with calcifying pancreatitis, it improved with the amelioration of pain in 64% of 25 patients with non-calcifying pancreatitis during the follow-up period. Alcohol abstinence seems most important for pain relief in patients with non-calcifying pancreatitis but not calcifying pancreatitis. Changes in glucose tolerance test were not related with those in pain. In calcifying pancreatitis, 69.2% of patients with calcifying pancreatitis were diabetic or became so, while 66.7% of patients with non-calcifying pancreatitis remained non-diabetic during the observation period.