Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis symptoms overlap with gallbladder dysfunction, making differentiation difficult without imaging. Approximately 30% of all pancreatitis cases are classified as idiopathic, with standard imaging returning normal results. Bile sludge jamming the pancreatic duct causes pancreatitis through pressure and inflammation. Pancreatitis pain worsens after eating because the pancreas is strained by digestion. Central or left-sided upper abdominal pain more often involves the pancreas, which extends from the center of the abdomen toward the left. Gallstones can lodge at the pancreatic duct, not only at the gallbladder, causing pancreatitis. Bile duct obstruction from sludge can back up into the liver, causing biliary hepatitis and potentially cirrhosis. Alcohol is a common cause of pancreatitis because it is directly toxic to pancreatic tissue. Chronic bile-induced liver inflammation from duct obstruction can progress to cirrhosis.