CHRONIC PANCREATITIS CAUSING COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE OBSTRUCTION OF THE COMMON BILE DUCT

Abstract

CHRONIC pancreatitis is a relatively uncommon disease. It is often extremely difficult to distinguish between it and carcinoma involving the pancreas. When the diagnosis is doubtful, biopsy is performed. When the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is established, an antastomosis between the biliary system and the stomach, duodenum or jejunum should be done. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE There is a dearth of papers on the subject of obstruction of the common duct due to chronic pancreatitis. It is an entity long known to exist. One of the earliest papers on the subject was that of Riedel,¹ who associated obstructive jaundice with chronic pancreatitis. The similarity between this condition and carcinoma of the head of the pancreas was observed by Mayo-Robson² in 1900 and again in 1907. In 1927 Verhoogen³ showed that the common duct may be a threadlike structure. This is not always the rule, because he reported