What is pancreatitis?

Also known as: acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, familial pancreatitis.

The pancreas is an abdominal organ found in the upper part of the abdomen which plays an important role in digestion and controlling the body’s blood sugar. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. It can be either acute and last just a few days or chronic and cause problems for many years.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM