Pancreatitis Risk Factors | Obstructive and Gallstones Pancreatitis

Risk factors of Pancreatitis

Gallstone and alcohol are the two major risk factors which can give rise to no less than nearly 90% of cases of acute pancreatitis.

Gallstones Pancreatitis

• Gallstones have been detected in 2/3rd of the cases mostly in high income groups whereas 1/3rd of cases among low income groups. Just reverse is the incidence of alcoholic pancreatitis, which is more (approximately 2/3rd) among low income groups.

Pancreatitis Alcohol

The exact mechanism is also not known how alcohol can induce pancreatitis.

1. A direct toxic effect of alcohol on the pancreatic parenchyma has been postulated but could not find a solid base.
2. With prolong alcohol intake protein is precipitated in pancreatic juice within the ducts leading to obstruction and increased pressure within the ducts.
3. Duodenum inflammation induced by alcohol may produce some degree of duct obstruction.
4. Persistent vomiting may cause regurgitation of duodenal contents into the pancreatitis.
5. Alcohol stimulates pancreatic secretion by the method of acid-induced secretion release.
6. Alcohol increases sphincter tone and increases the secretion.

Obstructive pancreatitis

• It is obvious that some sort of obstruction of the pancreatic duct is required to produce pancreatitis. So duct obstruction is also risk factor of pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis Metabolic

Metabolic factors

1. Hyperlipidemia
2. Hypercalcaemia
3. Haemochromatosis

Pancreatitis Vascular

Vascular factors

• Pancreatitis may be induced by injection of microspheres of various sizes into the arteries in animals. These particles occlude the terminal arterial supply and produce ischemia.

Post-operative pancreatitis

• Following certain intra-abdominal operations pancreatitis may occur.
  These operations are mainly on the stomach or the biliary (liver and gallbladder) system.

Miscellaneous factors

• A wide variety of seemingly unrelated factors have been associated with the development of pancreatitis.
• Toxins such as methyl alcohol, zinc oxide, cholinesterase inhibitors etc are some of the risk factors.
• A few viral diseases e.g. mumps, echovirus infection, Coxsackie’s virus have been incriminated to cause pancreatitis.
• A few drugs e.g. corticosteroids, phenformim, azathioprin, chlorothiazide, frusemide etc. are the risk factors.

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