Radiolucent and calcified pancreatic lithiasis: two different diseases. Role of alcohol and heredity.

One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients presenting with pancreatic calculi have been studied by means of plain films of the abdomen and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Patients were divided into the following groups: 1) Evenly calcified calculi, 74 patients, 66 men, aged at onset (M +/- SM) 40 +/- 10 years; daily consumption of alcohol, 157 +/- 121 g, and of tobacco, 26 +/- 15 cigarettes. Two patients presented with another case in the same family. Composition of calculi--at least 95% calcium salts and a degraded form of lithostathine S (formerly called PSP S2-5)--was similar in the Occidental alcoholic and in the tropical form: calcified calculi are probably related to alcohol and nutritional disorders. 2) Radiolucent stones, 17 patients, 12 men and 5 women, aged at onset 38 +/- 18 years. These patients had a low alcohol and tobacco consumption. There were four familial cases. 3) Radiolucent core with a calcified shell (target calculi), 27 cases, 23 men; age at onset, 38 +/- 15 years; daily ethanol consumption, 111 +/- 93, and tobacco, 19 +/- 15 cigarettes. There were two familial cases. It has been shown that these calculi originated from transparent calculi that later calcified. The frequency of women and of familial cases was significantly greater in groups 2 + 3 than in group 1. The consumption of alcohol and tobacco and the proportion of men were significantly lower in group 2 than in groups 1 and 3. We discuss the role of heredity in lithostathine precipitation and of alcohol in calcium precipitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)