Chronic Pancreatitis
Official guideline from the American College of Gastroenterology.
Diagnosis
We recommend CT or MRI for the first-line diagnosis of CP. Either test should be the first choice for the diagnosis of CP. EUS, because of its invasiveness and lack of specificity, should be used only if the diagnosis is in question after cross-sectional imaging is performed.
We suggest performing s-MRCP when the diagnosis of CP following cross-sectional imaging or EUS is not confirmed and the clinical suspicion remains high.
Etiology
Management
We recommend surgical intervention over endoscopic therapy in patients with obstructive CP for the long-term relief of pain if first-line endoscopic approaches to pancreatic drainage have been exhausted or unsuccessful.
We suggest considering the use of antioxidant therapy for CP with pain, although the benefit of pain reduction is likely limited.
We do not suggest the use of pancreatic enzyme supplements to improve pain in CP.
How strong is the ACG's recommendation?