Symptoms
Patients with chronic pancreatitis usually present with persistent abdominal pain or steatorrhea resulting from malabsorption of the fats in food. Diabetes is a common complication due to the chronic pancreatic damage and may require treatment with insulin. Some patients with chronic pancreatitis look very sick, while others don't appear to be unhealthy at all.
Considerable weight loss, due to malabsorption, is evident in a high percentage of patients, and can continue to be a health problem as the condition progresses. The patient may also complain about pain related to their food intake, especially those meals containing a high percentage of fats and protein. Some chronic pancreatitis patients do not experience pain while others suffer from constant, debilitating pain. Weight loss can also be attributed to a reduction in food intake in patients with severe abdominal pain.
Read more about this topic: Chronic Pancreatitis
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