Pancreatitis in the Elderly

Abstract

Inflammatory diseases of the pancreas are not uncommon in the elderly; although acute and chronic pancreatitis in this age group are essentially the same diseases as in younger patients, some features are unique to the old patient. Acute pancreatitis in the elderly is more commonly of gallstone etiology; it is also more likely to have an atypical clinical presentation, making recognition more difficult. In acute necrotizing pancreatitis, the elderly patient has an increased risk of complications including multisystem failure; for this reason, such patients should be more carefully monitored and aggressively treated. Chronic pancreatitis with initial onset older than 60 years is rare in the elderly, and generally without apparent cause; much more commonly, it is seen as the advanced stage of a disease started in youth. Diffuse glandular destruction and resulting severe insufficiency are usually present; thus, rather than pain, the most frequent clinical manifestations are steatorrhea and diabetes. These complications should be adequately treated to avoid malnutrition, which may seriously affect the well-being and quality of life in the elderly.