ABSTRACT
Chronic pancreatitis can be defined as a benign, inflammatory disorder of the pancreas which leads to permanent damage to the structure of the pancreas and impairment of pancreatic function to a varying degree, depending on the loss of pancreatic parenchyma. The evolution of the disease may be static, with some preservation of pancreatic function, or may be progressive, with the development of pancreatic insufficiency and steatorrhoea in the advanced clinical expression of the disease.
