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Diagnosed With Chronic Pancreatis
Is there such a thing as having a small pancreatic duct ? The reason I ask is Ive been suffering from abdominal pain , nausea , weight loss , and lack of appetite for 4 yrs now and was originally diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. Ive had every test you can imagine to no avail. I met with my 3rd GI today and he mentioned that he didn t agree with the CP diagnosis , said I had a small pancreatic duct, but doesn t believe that s the issue . Did I just maybe misunderstand him ?
Wed, 2 Nov 2016
Hi Welcome to Healthcaremagic.
I can understand your condition and the distress you are in because of that.Let me explain You that the symptoms which You mentioned can be present in many intestinal diseases,in fact all the diseases which effect intestines have these symptoms and are associated with weight loss if they continue for long duration.
A clinician will come to diagnosis based on the complete history and physical examination which provide clues for the underlying condition.With the help of appropriate investigation he will come to a diagnosis.
In your condition You were diagnosed with Chronic pancreatitis which has many causes, common ones being long term alcohol intake and Gall bladder stones but a small pancreatic duct could also be a rare cause(pancreatic duct is a way through which the pancreatic secretions drain ,if its small the secretions accumulate and cause inflammation of pancreas).If one of the Gastroenterologist opines that its because of small duct he is not going against the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis,he is just mentioning you that the underlying cause of chronic pancreatitis is small pancreatic duct and its management remains more or less the same.
If your Gastroenterologist thinks of some other diagnosis he will mention it and you should clarify this with him as the management and course of the disease will differ.
Hope this helps You.Thank You.
I can understand your condition and the distress you are in because of that.Let me explain You that the symptoms which You mentioned can be present in many intestinal diseases,in fact all the diseases which effect intestines have these symptoms and are associated with weight loss if they continue for long duration.
A clinician will come to diagnosis based on the complete history and physical examination which provide clues for the underlying condition.With the help of appropriate investigation he will come to a diagnosis.
In your condition You were diagnosed with Chronic pancreatitis which has many causes, common ones being long term alcohol intake and Gall bladder stones but a small pancreatic duct could also be a rare cause(pancreatic duct is a way through which the pancreatic secretions drain ,if its small the secretions accumulate and cause inflammation of pancreas).If one of the Gastroenterologist opines that its because of small duct he is not going against the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis,he is just mentioning you that the underlying cause of chronic pancreatitis is small pancreatic duct and its management remains more or less the same.
If your Gastroenterologist thinks of some other diagnosis he will mention it and you should clarify this with him as the management and course of the disease will differ.
Hope this helps You.Thank You.
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