Pancreatitis Causes & Risks

Causes

Causes include:

Alcohol abuse (most common cause)
Gallstones and other obstructions of the bile ducts
Surgery or trauma to the pancreas
Certain medications
Unknown causes (approximately 15% of cases)
Elevated blood triglyceride levels (hypertriglyceridemia)
Infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic)
HIV infection
Congenitally abnormal pancreas duct (pancrease divisum)
Complication of ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

Alcohol abuse
Family history of pancreatitis
Personal history of acute pancreatitis
Medications including:
- Estrogens
- Sulfonamides
- Tetracyclines
- Thiazides
Pancreatic cancer
Hyperlipidemia (excessive levels of fat in the blood)
Hypercalcemia (increased calcium in the blood)
Viral infections, such as mumps

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