Most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is:

Ans: a (Alcohol consumption) Ref: Bailey, 24th ed, p. 1127Most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is alcohol consumption.Chronic pancreatitis.- Chronic inflammatory disease in which there is irreversible progressive destruction of pancreatic tissue.- Disease occurs more frequently in men (4:1)- Mean age of onset is about 40 yrs.Causesa) High alcohol consumption (most frequent cause)b) Pancreatic duct obsUuction resulting from:- Stricture formation after trauma- Acute pancreatitis- Pancreatic cancer.c) Hereditary pancreatitis (germline mutations in the PRSS1 or SPINK 1 genes)d) Infantile malnutrition.e) Idiopathic (Pancreatitis begins at a young age and associated with high incidence of diabetes mellitus and stone formation. Those in warm climates such as Kerala and South India)PointHereditary pancreatitis and pancreatitis of young age there is increased risk of pancreatic cancer particularly if the patient smokes tobacco heavily.