Chronic pancreatitis in the British Army 1978-1989.

A retrospective study was made of all 28 soldiers with chronic pancreatitis first diagnosed between 1978 and 1989. All patients were male, alcohol was the aetiological factor in 90%, the mean age at diagnosis was 30 and the commonest mode of presentation was with recurrent painful episodes of pancreatitis. Endocrine and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency occurred in a quarter and a third of patients respectively and one third required surgical intervention.