Analytical studies of both initial symptoms and clinical symptoms and signs of different etiologies of chronic pancreatitis: an approach by using odds ratios]

We conducted the statistical analysis of both initial symptoms and clinical symptoms and signs of different etiologies of chronic pancreatitis by using odds ratios which was one of the techniques of evidence-based medicine. The official report published by The Research Group of Intractable Pancreatic Diseases sponsored by the Welfare Ministry of Japan in 1986 was available as the data source of the present study. Nine items of initial symptoms and 25 items of 28 clinical symptoms and signs were compared in 4 different etiologies of the disease which were alcoholic, biliary, idiopatic and nonalcoholic (both biliary and idiopatic). In initial symptoms, 1.5 items were significantly more observed in alcoholic pancreatitis than in nonalcoholic, biliary and idioatic pancreatitis, 4 of which (abdominal pain, back pain, poor appetite and loss of body weight) were common items as might be related closely to the alcohol intake, 2. only one item of jaundice was significantly more observed in biliary pancreatitis than in alcoholic and idiopatic pancreatitis, 3.3 items of poor appetite, diarrhea and abdominal mass were more frequently observed in idiopatic pancreatitis than in biliary pancreatitis. In clinical symptoms and signs, 1. almost all items (21 to 24) were significantly more observed in alcoholic pancreatitis than in the other etiologies of the disease, and seemed to be related directly or indirectly to alcohol intake, 2.3 or 4 items which were related closely to gallstone and acute cholecystitis were significantly more observed in biliary pancreatitis than the other two etiologies of the disease, and 3.4 items consisting of diarrhea, loss of body weight, and pancreatic swelling were more frequently observed in idiopathic pancreatitis than in biliary pancreatitis.