Outcomes of pain management in chronic pancreatitis: experience from a tertiary care hospital in India.

OBJECTIVES

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive inflammatory disorder that leads to irreversible destruction of exocrine and endocrine parenchyma. Little is known about outcomes of CP in the Indian subcontinent. We aim to study the treatment outcomes of CP in terms of pain severity in a tertiary hospital in India.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a prospective cohort study of 75 patients diagnosed with CP. Data regarding patient demographics, symptoms, and imaging findings were recorded. Pain severity was recorded objectively by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Cambridge score was calculated, and patients were classified into mild, moderate and severe categories. Patients were treated appropriately, and pain scores were monitored at 3 months and 6 months after initial visit.

RESULTS

Alcohol was the most common etiology (54%) followed by idiopathic/unknown causes (34%). Cambridge score or morphology on imaging did not affect pain severity (p>0.05). History of smoking and larger duct diameter decreased the effectiveness of treatment in reducing pain while higher post prandial sugar levels increased effectiveness (p<0.05). Pain relief did not differ between the treatment groups including analgesics, endoscopic or surgery (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

CP presents earlier in the Indian population and represents a unique population with a greater proportion of idiopathic cases than western countries. Rather than pancreatic morphology or Cambridge score alone, a combination of morphology, pain severity and functional status can be utilized for formulating an individualized treatment plan. Present treatment strategies prove effective in treatment of CP.