ACUTE-PANCREATITIS IN CROHNS-DISEASE

Pancreatitis as an extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn's disease (C D) is controversial. We review the episodes of acute pancreatitis in p atients with CD. Of 852 patients, 12 developed clinically overt pancre atitis, reparesenting a frequency of 1.4% in a follow-up period of 10 years. In 10 patients, common causes of pancreatitis were excluded. In 2 patients, drug-induced disease (azathioprine, sulfasalazine) could not be ruled out. Recurrence of pancreatitis was observed in only 2 pa tients. Younger patients and those with active disease seemed more at risk for development of pancreatitis. If prednisolone was needed for t reatment of active CD, no adverse effect was observed for the pancreat itis. Along with the clinical features, we studied autoantibodies agai nst exocrine pancreas; the incidence of autoantibodies in patients wit h pancreatitis was the same as in the controls who did not develop pan creatic abnormalities. This does not support the hypothesis that acute pancreatitis in CD is associated with the formation of pancreatic aut oantibodies.