Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas accompanied by abdominal pain and, in late stages, by exocrine and endocrine insufficiency. This past year the major discovery in chronic pancreatitis was the identification of a genetic mutation responsible for hereditary pancreatitis in some families. This finding may contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and affect future research in pancreatology. Another promising area is the search for a genetic marker in pancreatic secretion or tissue to differentiate between inflammatory and neoplastic pancreatic masses.