Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, can occur in a chronic or acute form.
Pancreatitis refers to inflammation of the pancreas, an organ located in the back of the upper abdomen, behind the stomach, that secretes hormones and digestive juices.
Located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach, the pancreas is both an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland , according to Columbia Surgery . Whereas the pancreas makes and secretes four hormones as its endocrine function, its exocrine function is to make, store and secrete a variety of enzymes needed for the digestion of nutrients from food.
In addition to gallstones and alcohol misuse, other causes of pancreatitis include high levels of serum triglycerides ; certain viral infections, including mumps; or trauma to the pancreas. Rarely, the condition may be tied to the use of certain medications, including steroids , or exposure to toxins, such as scorpion venom . Finally, some cases of pancreatitis are called idiopathic, meaning there is no identifiable cause.
Pancreatitis risk factorsAs noted above, the pancreas can become inflamed for a variety of reasons, the most common being alcohol misuse and gallstones.
Doctors can obtain a clear diagnosis of acute or chronic pancreatitis by way of specialized imaging tests that can be used to reveal changes in the pancreas that are indicative of each condition. One of the tests is called cholangiopancreatography ), and the other is called magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography .
Because episodes of acute pancreatitis can lead to chronic pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis would be considered a complication of the acute condition. Other complications of acute pancreatitis include bleeding in the pancreas, kidney failure, and infection leading to pancreatic necrosis, meaning the death of pancreatic tissue. Additionally, infection and necrosis of the pancreas can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening, body-wide immune reaction.
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