Which of the following statement regarding pancreatitis is true ?
High-Yield Explanation
Chronic pancreatitis is a disease process characterized by irreversible damage to the pancreas as distinct from the reversible changes noted in acute pancreatitis. The condition is best defined by the presence of histologic abnormalities, including chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and progressive destruction of both exocrine and eventually endocrine tissue. Alcohol is implicated in both acute and chronic pancreatitis and both can occur in young adults.