Acute pancreatitis - revisiting the clinical basics

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis refers to acute inflammation of the pancreas, usually accompanied by abdominal pain and elevations of serum pancreatic enzymes. This syndrome is usually a discrete episode which causes varying degrees of injury to the pancreas. Following recovery the pancreatic function usually returns to normal unlike chronic pancreatitis in which the resulting fibrosis and pancreatic dysfunction is irreversible and thus permanent.