Clinical profile of patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis

Abstract

RAP is defined as more than two attacks of acute pancreatitis without any evidence of underlying chronic pancreatitis and usually occurs in the idiopathic group, which forms 20-25% of the causes of AP. The causes of RAP can be mechanical, toxic-metabolic, anatomical, or miscellaneous. A detailed history including the general details of the patients (age, gender, date of admission etc.) chief complaints and associated complaints with duration, past history including any chronic conditions, general examination and systemic examination especially abdominal examination was recorded in prestructured proforma. Evaluation of a patient with RAP after the first episode of acute pancreatitis included a detailed history of alcohol intake, smoking, medication associated with AP, trauma, viral illness, exposure to toxins, and a family history of AP. During the study period of 2 years, 80 patients were diagnosed of RAP. The mean age of patients in the present study was 33.94 ±8.51 years. The patients in age group of 11-20 years, 21-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years were 5 (6.3%), 24 (30%), 32 (40%), 18 (22.5%) and 1 (1.3%) respectively. History of drug intake causing pancreatitis or family history of pancreatitis was not found from the entire study group. After applying both phase I, phase II investigations an etiology was detected in 56 patients (70%).