Pancreatitis

Abstract

PROGRESS in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatitis has not been as satisfactory as that in many other common conditions. The inaccessible location of the pancreas has made both physical and radiologic examination unsatisfactory unless a large cyst or tumor mass is present. The retroperitoneal position of the pancreas, like that of the kidney, is responsible for the often bizarre and variable signs and symptoms. It is now recognized that repeated acute attacks of pancreatitis in the same patient are common and may have been misinterpreted or over-looked until calcific deposits are demonstrated in the region of the pancreas during . . .