RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Non-alcoholic duct destructive chronic pancreatitis JF Gut JO Gut FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology SP 263 OP 268 DO 10.1136/gut.41.2.263 VO 41 IS 2 A1 N Ectors A1 B Maillet A1 R Aerts A1 K Geboes A1 A Donner A1 F Borchard A1 P Lankisch A1 M Stolte A1 J Lüttges A1 B Kremer A1 G Klöppel YR 1997 UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/41/2/263.abstract AB Background—The pathology of non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis has not yet been sufficiently studied. Aims—To identify the major changes of pancreatic tissue in patients surgically treated for non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Patients—Pancreatectomy specimens from 12 patients with non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, including four patients with autoimmune or related diseases (Sjögren’s syndrome, primary sclerosing cholangitis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease), were reviewed. Methods—Morphological changes were studied histologically and immunohistochemically (to type inflammatory cells) and compared with the pancreatic alterations found in 12 patients with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Results—In patients with non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, with or without associated autoimmune or related diseases, pancreatic inflammation particularly involved the ducts, commonly resulting in duct obstruction and occasionally duct destruction. None of these features was seen in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis which, however, showed pseudocysts and calcifications. Conclusion—The pancreatic changes in patients with non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis clearly differ from those with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. The term chronic duct destructive pancreatitis is suggested for this type of pancreatic disease.