Tropical pancreatitis.

Tropical pancreatitis is an uncommon cause of acute, and often chronic, relapsing pancreatitis. Patients present with abdominal pain, weight loss, pancreatic calcifications, and glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus. Etiologies include a protein-calorie malnourished state, a variety of exogenous food toxins, pancreatic duct anomalies, and a possible genetic predisposition. Chronic cyanide exposure from the diet may contribute to this disease, seen often in India, Asia, and Africa. The pancreatic duct of these patients often is markedly dilated, and may contain stones, with or without strictures. The risk of ductal carcinoma with this disease is accentuated. Treatment may be frustrating, and may include pancreatic enzymes, duct manipulations at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, octreotide, celiac axis blocks for pain control, or surgery via drainage and/or resection.