Concurrent pancreatic ductal changes in alcoholic liver disease

BACKGROUND: Alcohol is a common etiological factor in both liver disease and chronic pancreatitis, but in a single individual it does not usually produce clinically significant disease in both organs. We assessed the prevalence of pancreatic ductal changes in patients presenting with alcoholic liver disease of different stages. METHODS: Forty-six patients with alcoholic liver disease were included in the present study. Liver biopsy was performed in patients with normal coagulogram. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatogram was performed in all patients and changes in chronic pancreatitis were noted. RESULTS: Of the 46 patients with alcoholic liver disease, 31 had cirrhosis of the liver, nine had fatty liver and two patients had alcoholic hepatitis. Twenty (43.47%) patients had features of chronic pancreatitis on endoscopic retrograde pancreatogram and these consisted of minimal pancreatitis changes in 10 patients, moderate changes in nine patients and advanced changes in one patient. There was no difference in the prevalence of pancreatitis changes in cirrhotics in comparison to non-cirrhotics. There was no correlation between the amount and length of alcohol intake and changes in pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic ductal changes on endoscopic retrograde pancreatogram are common in patients with alcoholic liver disease.