Familial Pancreatitis

Also known as: hereditary pancreatitis, HP.

What is familial pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is a disease that affects the pancreas, causing pain and other symptoms. Familial pancreatitis refers to pancreatitis that occurs in a family with a rate that is greater than would be expected by chance alone.

What causes familial pancreatitis?

As the name suggests, familial pancreatitis runs in families. Parents who have the disease or carry a gene mutation that causes the disease can pass it down to their children.

What are the symptoms of familial pancreatitis?

The primary symptoms of familial pancreatitis include abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and fever. Over time, the episodes can cause damage and loss of function of the pancreas.

What are familial pancreatitis care options?

The primary suggestions for avoiding the problems of familial pancreatitis involve smoking and alcohol cessation and consuming a diet that is low in fat content. Medications; procedures with an endoscope where debris is cleared from the ducts within the pancreas and/or narrowing (called strictures) of the ducts within the pancreas are widened; and surgery can also be used to treat the symptoms of familial pancreatitis.

Reviewed by: Shifra A Koyfman, MD

This page was last updated on: March 20, 2019 04:06 PM