Pancreas and Liver Injury Are Associated in Individuals With Increased Alcohol Consumption

published online 29 June 2009.

Refers to article:

Yes, Simultaneous Damage to Both the Pancreas and Liver Are Associated in Subjects Who Drink Excessive Amounts of Alcohol! , 09 September 2009
Phillip P. Toskes
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
November 2009 (Vol. 7, Issue 11, Page 1155)
Full Text | Full-Text PDF (104 KB)

Background & Aims

Although chronic pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis are common sequelae of excess alcohol consumption, the 2 conditions are rarely associated. We studied the prevalence of simultaneous liver cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis in alcoholics.

Methods

Postmortem autopsy data from 620 individuals with a history of excess alcohol consumption and 100 nonalcoholics (controls) were analyzed. The individuals were classified into groups based on macroscopic observations of pancreas (no injury, acute pancreatitis, fibrosis, and chronic pancreatitis) and liver (no injury, moderate steatosis, severe steatosis, and cirrhosis). The same classification system was used for histological data, which was used to confirm and correlate macroscopic results.

Results

Out of the 183 patients with liver cirrhosis, 33 (18%) had chronic pancreatitis and 93 (51%) had pancreatic fibrosis. Out of the 230 patients with severe steatosis, 37 (16%) had chronic pancreatitis and 97 (42%) were found to have a pancreatic fibrosis. Thirty-three (39%) with chronic pancreatitis also showed liver cirrhosis and 37 (44%) showed severe steatosis. Thirty-eight percent of the patients with a pancreatic fibrosis were found also to have liver cirrhosis and in another 40% severe steatosis. Thirty-five patients showed neither hepatic or pancreatic injury. We found no chronic pancreatitis or liver cirrhosis in the control group (n = 100).

Conclusions

Contrary to common belief there is a close association between pancreatic and hepatic injury in patients with increased alcohol consumption, and the degree of organ damage between the 2 organs correlate.

Abbreviation used in this paper: BMI, body mass index

⁎ I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

‡ Medizinische Klinik, Diakoniekrankenhaus Alten Eichen, Hamburg, Germany

§ Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany

∥ Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Dr med Andrea Pace, I. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. fax: (49) 40428037502

Conflict of interest The authors disclose no conflicts.

PII: S1542-3565(09)00581-3

doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2009.06.010

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