[Hereditary chronic pancreatitis: an autosomal dominant disease (author's transl)].

We have studied a family in which three people, two child and an adult had hereditary pancreatitis. Hereditary pancreatitis is not a common disease. Abdominal pain is usually the first clinical sign in children. The knowledge of the existence of such a disease and familiarity with the family history of the child allow the pediatrician to make the diagnosis as soon as the first crisis appears. Surgery is thus avoided. Our studies show definitively that this disease is hereditary and is autosomal dominant with a strong decrease of the penetrance.