Newbie Post 0

Newbie 0: Define the diseases, Acute vs. Chronic
PANCREATITIS MESSAGE BOARD
Posted by Chuck on September 28, 2004 at 11:29:17:

Chronic Pancreatitis versus Acute Pancreatitis.

Let's start with definitions since they are vastly different diseases. Acute Pancreatitis is defined as an inflammation of the pancreas. That's all. Chronic Pancreatitis is a progressive, incurable disease defined as permanent structural damage to the pancreas. Pretty simplistic definitions aren't they? Too bad that with definitions so broad they still cannot diagnose them quickly and easily.
Acute Pancreatitis can be caused by excess (and activated) pancreatic enzymes within the pancreas, alcohol abuse, blunt force trauma, pancreatic duct obstruction or even medications. It can manifest itself as acute (temporary) abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and fever. It can sometimes be determined by elevated serum levels of the pancreatic enzymes, amylase (unreliable measure) and lipase (more reliable than serum amylase but may be useless after 24-48 hours after initial onset). Acute Pancreatitis is very dangerous since high amylase and lipase levels may compromise the heart, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys.
Acute Pancreatitis may show up as "subclinical", small relatively minor inconveniences like a daily case of diarrhea after lunch or a particular burning under your ribcage after dinner. It can range all the way up to life threatening, debilitating, severe attacks which require hospitalization. Most Acute Pancreatitis patients make a complete recovery within a few days to a week of their attack and will never have another one if the main antagonist (alcohol, drugs, obstructions, etc.) is removed from the patients life.
Chronic Pancreatitis is an enigma to most. It is a very rare disease and only occurs in 8.5 out of 100,000 population (.0085%) in the US. The mechanism of pain and dysfunction is not understood by today's medicine. There are no generally accepted diagnostic or treatment methods. Every Doctor has his/her own "favorite" out of a limited number of studies done. As a result successes are few even when success is defined as slowing the deterioration of the organ or giving temporary relief from the pain.
While Acute Pancreatitis attacks can and sometimes do cause Chronic Pancreatitis the disease are as different as night and day.

Chuck