Acute pancreatitis Health Article

Definition

Acute pancreatitis is swelling (inflammation) of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach. It releases the hormones insulin and glucagon as well as substances that help you digest food.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

What exactly causes pancreatitis is not well known. It is thought that inactive substances (called enzymes) normally released by the pancreas somehow become active. These substances eat (and digest) the tissue of the pancreas. This abnormal process is called autodigestion. It causes swelling, bleeding (hemorrhage), and damage to the blood vessels.

Acute pancreatitis affects men more often than women. Certain diseases, surgeries, and habits make you more likely to develop this condition.

The main causes of acute pancreatitis in adults are:

• Alcohol use
• Gallbladder (biliary) disease
• Gallstones

Other causes include:

• Use of certain medications (especially estrogens, corticosteroids, thiazide diuretics, and azathioprine)
• Some types of bile duct surgery
• Pancreas surgery
• Severe injury to the belly (abdominal) area
• Viral infections, including mumps, coxsackie B, mycoplasma pneumonia, and campylobacter

Acute pancreatitis may also be caused by:

• An abnormal structure of the pancreas
• Complications of cystic fibrosis
• Genetic factors (hereditary pancreatitis)
• High lipid levels in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia)

In children, this disorder may be associated with:

• Abdominal trauma
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome
• Kawasaki disease
• Mumps
• Reye syndrome
• Some medications
• Various viral illnesses

Symptoms

The main symptoms is abdominal pain felt in the upper left side or middle of the belly area (abdomen).

The pain:

• Is persistent or chronic
• May be worse lying flat on the back
• May spread (radiate) to the back or below the left shoulder blade
• May be worse after eating or drinking (occurs within minutes following meals), especially foods with a high fat content
• May be worse after drinking alcohol

Other common symptoms may include:

• Anxiety
• Fever
• Mild yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sweating

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease include:

• Indigestion
• Clay-colored stools
• Gaseous abdominal fullness
• Hiccups
• Skin rash or lesion
• Swollen abdomen