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Hi! I found this article and was wondering if anyone could decifer it for me!

The terminoloy references are way above my thinking today! lol! I think what

it is saying is in alcohol induced pancreatitis the morphology and exocrine

function is affected??? Has anyone had the tests they describe in here? And

would this help to diagnose/confirm pancreatitis? Is it used much in the US?

Thanks!

Chronic pancreatitis: relation between function and morphology.

Maartense S, Ledeboer M, Masclee AA.

Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center P.O.

Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: In our department, we routinely use a combined exocrine-endocrine

function test to evaluate the pancreatic function in chronic pancreatitis i.e.

urinary para amino benzoic acid (PABA) recovery and pancreatic polypeptide

secretion in response to a meal and glucose tolerance test. AIM: To study the

relationship between changes in morphology and exocrine/endocrine function in

patients with chronic pancreatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 103 patients with

chronic pancreatitis seen by our department for evaluation of pancreatic

function between 1989 and 1999, we retrospectively analysed the correlation

between morphology (Cambridge-score) and function. Furthermore the differences

in presentation, function and morphology between patients with alcohol-induced

chronic pancreatitis and idiopathic chronic pancreatitis were evaluated.

RESULTS: Significant correlation were found for both PABA recovery and

pancreatic polypeptide secretion with morphologic score, respectively r = -0.205

(P = 0.037) and r = -0.209 (P = 0.031), but not with endocrine function. The

correlation between morphology and PABA recovery or pancreatic polypeptide

secretion was observed in the subgroup with alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis

but not in those with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis. Pain is a prominent

symptom of chronic pancreatitis. Pain was more frequent and more severe in

patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis caused by alcohol or idiopathy.

CONCLUSIONS: Morphology and exocrine function correlate in patients with

alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis but not in patients with chronic

pancreatitis. When compared to patients with chronic pancreatitis of idiopathic

origin, patients with alcoholic origin show differences in presentation and

morphology but not in function.