Difference between acute and chronic pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis vs chronic pancreatitis:
The human body is made up of a complex system of organs which work together to maintain a healthy balance within the body. Each and every organ is responsible for the way in which they come together in perfect harmony with each other in order to create this symphony which in turn is essential for the machinery to function properly. Among the many organs within the human body, the pancreas serves a humongous role in balancing the activity that takes place within. The pancreas which are situated just behind the stomach, attached to the small intestines are responsible for secreting pancreatic enzymes which help break down food into usable parts which in turn helps generate the energy that is required for the human body to function as well as secreting insulin which helps transport glucose to different cells, producing glucagon which is responsible for increasing sugar levels if the body has a low supply in the blood as well as secreting somatostatin which is a growth hormone. Therefore, a disease in the pancreas will be a serious issue which will lead to malfunctioning of some of the most vital processes in the human system. Acute and chronic pancreatitis are two such diseases which wreck much havoc and interferes with the balance that exists between the organs within.
What is acute pancreatitis?
Acute pancreatitis is considered as a medical emergency where the escape of activated pancreatic digestive enzymes from the duct system into the parenchyma results in the auto digestion of the pancreas by activated enzymes. This destruction of the pancreatic tissues eventually leads to acute inflammation, thrombosis, hemorrhage, vascular injury and fat necrosis, while the depletion of the intra vascular volume is quite capable of resulting in shock. In addition to the widespread necrosis of the tissues and hemorrhage, pancreatic abscess resulting from massive liquefactive necrosis can also occur in severe cases.
While the biliary tract calculi are said to have a major part in this disease, in about 25% of the cases, the etiology remains unknown. Acute pancreatic is often triggered by heavy drinking, hypercalcaemia seen in primary hyperparathyroidism, Hyperlipidemias, shock, hypothermia, drugs and radiation all of which are known to have a toxic effect upon the pancreatic acinar cells. The symptoms of acute pancreatitis may include severe epigastric pain which is often accompanied by vomiting and shock and an immediate elevation of serum amylase which may be 10-20 times the normal upper limit that returns to normal in 2-3 days.
What is chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis can be introduced as the progressive destruction of the pancreatic parenchymal tissues where exocrine and endocrine functions and morphological abnormalities are observed in the gland. Chronic pancreatitis manifests itself in the form of chronic inflammation, fibrosis, stenosis and dilatation of the duct system which eventually leads to permanent damage and impairment of the pancreatic functions. A patient suffering from chronic pancreatitis may experience upper abdominal pain, backache, jaundice in addition to features of pancreatic failure such as gradual weight loss, anorexia, anemia, steatorrhoea and diabetes.
Although there exists no obvious factor for this condition, chronic alcoholism, biliary tract calculi, dietary factors and recurrent acute pancreatitis are known to be instrumental in bringing about this condition. This occurs as a result of the pancreas becoming atrophic and fibrotic with repeated attacks of pancreatitis where the pancreatic duct is stenosed with proximal dilatation with loss of parenchyma and replacement with scar tissue. This of course, is in addition to the deterioration of the exocrine and endocrine functions. In order to diagnose the condition, certain procedures such as ultrasound and CT scan of the abdomen, pancreatic functions tests, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, angiography and pancreatic biopsy are considered as necessary.
What is the difference between chronic pancreatitis and acute pancreatitis?
Acute and chronic pancreatitis both refer to a disease of the pancreas and yet, the nature of these two conditions are very different. The differences commence, first and foremost with their symptoms. Acute pancreatitis manifests itself through severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting whereas chronic pancreatitis manifests itself with chronic abdominal pain and normal or mildly elevated pancreatic enzyme levels resulting in backache, jaundice, gradual weight loss, anorexia, anemia, steatorrhoea and diabetes. During acute pancreatitis, the pancreas is acutely inflamed and the serum levels of pancreatic enzymes (amylase and lipase) are elevated whereas in the case of chronic pancreatitis, chronic, irreversible inflammation often leads to fibrosis with calcification.
Acute pancreatitis is considered as a medical emergency whereas chronic pancreatitis is a progressive condition. It is a well known fact that acute pancreatitis can indeed be fatal with pancreatic abscess, severe hemorrhage, shock, DIC or respiratory distress syndrome happening at the most severe cases and yet, it is absolutely recoverable with proper medical care and support. However, chronic pancreatitis is known to cause permanent damage to the pancreas resulting in pancreatic calcifications and changes in the architecture which may even result in more permanent conditions such as diabetes mellitus which a patient may have to put up with during his or her entire life time.
Tags: abdominal, alimentary canal, anal, angiography, anus, appendix, assimilation, back passage, belly, calcification, CT scan of the abdomen, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, pancreatic biopsy, pancreatic functions tests, ultrasound