[Chronic pancreatitis in India (author's transl)].

The etiology, clinical features and course of chronic pancreatitis as reported from developing countries of Africa and Asia ("Afro-asian type") differ significantly from that described in Europe and America ("Euro-american type"). The paper presents the natural history of chronic pancreatitis in India, a country in which both types of the disease have been reported. The incidence is lowest in north and increases as one descends to the south. In the north the euro-american type is more common whereas in the south afro-asian type predominates. The exact etiology of afro-asian type is not known; however, suggestive evidence indicates that protein malnutrition is in some way responsible.