Tropical pancreatitis

Last revised by Jeremy Jones on 20 Sep 2021

Tropical pancreatitis is a subtype of chronic pancreatitis associated with SPINK1 gene mutation, tropical countries, and the young age of onset. There are characteristic, large ductal calculi, which may measure up to a few centimetres in size. This is in contrast to the small, speckled calculi more commonly seen in chronic pancreatitis. Most patients are clinically present with malnutrition and steatorrhoea 2. Additionally, there is a 20-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer development.

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