| Abstract: |
In order to define the risk factors resulting in morbidity and mortality, 154 patients referred to a surgical clinic because of suspected complications of chronic pancreatitis were studied. Pain was significantly more common (p = 0.006) in the presence of pseudocysts. The most important prognostic risk factor in chronic pancreatitis was found to be pseudocyst formation showing a significantly higher incidence of vascular complications (p = 0.0006), gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.003) and fistula formation (p = 0.04) when compared to patients without pseudocyst who showed a significantly higher incidence of cholestasis only (p = 0.002). The mortality rate in the pseudocyst group (7.1%) was 4 times higher than that in the nonpseudocyst group (1.8%). The triad of a history of alcohol consumption, male gender and pseudocyst formation, occurring in 59 patients (38%), was associated with a 8.5% mortality rate. |
