INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION ON THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

The aim of our study teas to analyze the influence of alcohol consumpt ion on the early clinical manifestations of alcoholic chronic pancreat itis of the 517 patients in whom chronic pan creatitis teas initially suspected, 158 were diagnosed with this disease; of these, alcohol tea s considered the cause in 136 (86.1%), Alcohol was considered a major etiologic factor when mean consumption was greater than or equal to 60 grams per day far at least 4 years, Alcohol consumption, initial clin ical manifestations and time of onset were considered up until the mom ent of diagnosis in all patients, The sex distribution was 133 men (97 .8%) and 3 women (2.2%), The average age was 22 +/- 6.5 years at onset of alcoholism, 38 +/- 9.4 years at onset of clinical features, and 44 +/- 9.4 years at diagnosis, The interval between the onset of alcohol ism and the initial clinical manifestations was 15.8 +/- 18.8 years, a nd the interval between the latter and diagnosis teas 6.1 +/- 4.9 year s, Average alcohol consumption was 162 +/- 8 grams/day and total consu mption was 1312 +/- 1017 kg, A statistically significant relationship teas found only for mean alcohol consumption and abdominal pain, We fo und a higher frequency of acute pancreatitis outbreaks, calcifications , steatorrhea and diabetes until the moment of diagnosis in the higher alcohol consumption groups, although the relationship was not statist ically significant.