The Etiologic Evaluation of Acute Pancreatitis in a General Hospital of Seoul-Gyeonggi Province in Korea

Abstract

Background/Aims: In recent years, the incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) has been increasing. A better understanding of the etiology is directly linked to more favorable outcomes. Unfortunately, there have been reports suggesting the variation of etiologies of AP across countries. The objective of this study was to determine the etiology of AP in a general hospital of Seoul-Gyeonggi province in Korea during the past decade. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients with AP who were admitted to St. Paul's Hospital (Seoul, Korea) with an affiliation to the Catholic University of Korea between January 2003 and January 2013. Results: A total of 1,110 patients were enrolled, totaling 1,833 attacks, and the most frequent cause of AP was alcohol consumption. The recurrence rate of AP was 24.5% (272/1,110), and habitual recurrence rate (more than three times) was 12.6% (140/1,110). The rate of severe AP was 4.9% (90/1,833 attacks). The mortality rate of AP was 2.6% (29/1,110 patients). The frequency of an idiopathic cause of AP was 13.3%. The recurrence rate and mortality rate of idiopathic AP were 16.2% and 5.4%, respectively. In 41.7% (10/24) of cases of idiopathic AP, microlithiasis was suspected. Conclusions: Between 2003 and 2013 in Korea, alcohol was the most frequent cause of AP in the general hospital of Seoul-Gyeonggi province of Korea. It appears that alcohol abstinence program may be necessary. Further nationwide studies would be needed to evaluate the etiologies of AP. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2017;70:190-197)

Hypertriglyceridemia is a Risk Factor for Fever in Early Acute Non-biliary Pancreatitis

“…The mean age of the patients was nearly 10 years older than in the present study (52.9 years for males and 56.8 years for females). 9 A difference in the mean age of the patients was observed between their study 9 and the present study. On the other hand, the mean age was similar except for gallstone pancreatitis, which is the most common form of AP in older patients.…”

Risk of Pancreatic Cancer After Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Analysis of the Korean National Sample Cohort

“… 47 Third, due to the retrospective cohort design, certain variables, such as family history, physical activity status, BMI, and health behaviors (including smoking and drinking), which could influence the etiopathogenesis of acute pancreatic cancer, were not included. 48 Moreover, detailed medication and past histories that may have influenced the development of pancreatic cancer were not considered in the analysis. Additionally, the confounders included in the analysis may have changed over the 18-year study period.…”

Serum triglyceride levels are associated with recurrence in patients with acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis

“…There are obvious differences in the etiology of AP due to differences in races, regions, and economic and health conditions ( 10 ). The incidence of hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGP) has been increasing for a number of years ( 11 ), accounting for 0.36–25.6% of all AP cases ( 11 – 13 ). In some regions of China, HTG is currently the second most common cause of AP ( 12 ).…”