[Etiology of chronic pancreatitis in São Paulo: a study of 407 cases].

The etiology of chronic pancreatitis was investigated in 407 patients: 381 (93.6%) had a history of heavy alcoholic ingestion (average = 295.3 +/- 171.3 g of ethanol) during a time of 19.2 +/- 8.0 years: five patients (1.0%) had familial background of pancreatitis, two (0.5%) had the obstructive form, and two (0.5%) presented history of malnutrition. In 18 patients (4.4%) it was not possible to determine the etiology. Patients with the alcoholic form started the alcohol abuse at the age of 19.4 +/- 6.0 years. A careful dietetic inquiry showed that patients with chronic pancreatitis lived on a diet which was significantly richer in protein than that of patients of the control group (p less than 0.01). Attention is called to the high incidence of chronic alcohol abuse in patients with chronic pancreatitis.