Acute pancreatitis of rare causation.

From a review of 800 patients with acute pancreatitis, eight having rare causation were selected. Definite obstruction of the common pancreatic duct was noted in four patients, and direct injury of the parenchyma, vascular lesions of pancreatic vessels and presumed autoimmune factors were responsible in the remaining four patients. Although the definitive treatment of nonobstructive pancreatitis remains controversial, surgical relief of obstruction of the pancreatic duct provides the most appropriate therapeutic approach for obstructive pancreatitis.