Prognostic factors of response to endoscopic treatment in painful chronic pancreatitis.

aimTo evaluate the endoscopic treatment efficacy and prognostic factors of long-term response to treatment for painful chronic pancreatitis.

methodsThis retrospective analysis identified 168 patients with painful chronic pancreatitis hospitalized during January 2010-January 2015 in a Romanian tertiary referral center. Data on demographics, medical history, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, clinical parameters, type and number of endoscopic procedures and hospital admissions number were collected from the medical charts and analyzed. The absence or substantial reduction of pain (mild pain) at the end of the follow-up associated with the technical success of endotherapy was considered as clinical success.

resultsAmong the 168 patients with painful chronic pancreatitis admitted to our department during the study period, 39 (23.21%) had optimal response to the medical therapy. One hundred and twenty-nine patients required endoscopic treatment. The median follow-up period was 15 mo (range, 0-60 mo). Overall, technical success of endotherapy was achieved in 105 patients (81.39%). More than two-thirds of patients (82.78%) had substantial improvement of pain after the endoscopic treatment, including frequency and severity of the pain attacks. Patients younger than 40 years had significantly more successful endoscopic procedures (

conclusionYounger age than 40 years can be considered an important factor positively influencing endoscopic treatment outcome in patients with painful chronic pancreatitis.