Pancreatitis

Home » Pancreatitis » Causes and Risk Factors

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your GI Condition
(Free Handout)

Causes and Risk Factors

If digestive enzymes in pancreatic juice become active before leaving the pancreas, they can begin to "digest" the organ itself (called autodigestion), causing pancreatitis. The exact mechanism that causes the enzymes to become active within the pancreas is not well understood; however, the process may be related to a malfunction or blockage in the biliary system (e.g., liver, gallbladder, bile duct) or the pancreatic duct.

The most common causes for pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and gallbladder disease (e.g., gallstones).

Pancreatitis also can be genetic (called hereditary pancreatitis) or can develop as a result of abdominal trauma (e.g., injury, surgery). Patients who smoke cigarettes are at increased risk, especially if they also abuse alcohol. In about 30% of cases, the cause for pancreatitis is unknown (idiopathic).

In children, inherited conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis), congenital (i.e., present at birth) abnormalities (e.g., pancreas divisum), and illnesses (e.g., Kawasaki disease, Reye's syndrome) can increase the risk for pancreatitis.

Other risk factors in children and adults include the following:

• Bacterial infections (e.g., Mycoplasma, Campylobacter)
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
• Metabolic disorders (e.g., hyperparathyroidism)
• Obstructions in the biliary system
• Peptic ulcer (occurs in the lower end of the esophagus, the stomach, or the duodenum)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Viral infections (e.g., mumps, coxsackievirus)

Certain medications also can increase the risk for pancreatitis. These drugs include the following:

• Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (immunosuppressive drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and following organ transplant; e.g., Imuran®)
• Diuretics (used to reduce edema [swelling] in patients who have chronic heart failure [CHF], liver disease, and kidney disease; e.g., furosemide [Lasix®])
• Didanosine or ddI (used to treat HIV infection; e.g., Videx®)
• Estrogens (oral contraceptives; used to prevent pregnancy)
• Pentamidine (used to treat some types of pneumonia; e.g., Nubupent®)
• Tetracycline (antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections; e.g., Sumycin®)
• Valproic acid (anticonvulsant used to treat complex partial seizures; e.g., Depakene®)

© 1998-2008 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Pancreatitis Resources

	Join Our Pancreatitis Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted.
	Stay Updated Sign up for our newsletter and receive important updates on the medical conditions that are most important to you.
Advertising Disclaimer To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer