Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, which plays an important role in digestion by secreting digestive enzymes and controlling sugar blood levels by producing hormones such as insulin. Pancreatitis can suddenly onset as acute pancreatitis and then develop into chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis pain is the most clarified sign of both acute and chronic pancreatitis.
We will review all about pancreatic pain location in this article.
Where is pancreatitis pain felt?
Pancreatitis pain is mainly upper abdominal pain which is present in about 80%–90% of those patients.
Acute pancreatitis pain begins slowly in the upper abdomen and moves to the back. It may be mild or severe and can last for several days.
Chronic pancreatitis pain usually develops in the middle or left side of the abdomen and can travel along your back. It is a severe pain that appears as a burning-like feeling that comes and goes but can last for several hours or days. The pain sometimes occurs after eating.
Symptoms associated with pancreatitis pain
Acute pancreatitis differs from chronic pancreatitis, in which the pancreas is almost completely damaged in chronic pancreatitis.
People with acute pancreatitis pain may have a fever above 38 ̊c, nausea, vomiting, and fast heartbeat.
Chronic pancreatitis may be associated with:
- Digestion problems such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and greasy stool with a foul odor associated with pancreatitis pain as the pancreas completely loses its ability to produce digestive juices, which aid in breaking down food in the digestive system.
- Chronic inflammatory changes leading to systemic atherosclerosis causing ischemic heart disease and increased morbidity and mortality.
- Cortical reorganization and neuroplastic changes may also be associated with chronic pain.
- Other symptoms such as Weight loss, loss of appetite, jaundice, symptoms of diabetes, and emotional disability.
Differentiating pancreatitis pain from other conditions
However, the pain is the most characteristic symptom of pancreatitis, its presence varies from one to another. It is possible that one person with chronic pancreatitis doesn’t have this specific pancreatitis pain.
Also, many conditions can conflict with pancreatitis as all of them have upper abdominal pain such as gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, cholelithiasis, biliary obstruction, biliary colic, pancreatic malignancy, pseudocyst, and chronic mesenteric ischemia.
Differential diagnosis can be done by:
- Transabdominal ultrasound (TUS) is an accurate method for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis but it cannot detect early-stage pancreatitis.
- In pancreatitis, serum lipase or amylase level can elevate to 3 times above the upper limit of normal.
- The pancreatitis pain is more severe, persistent pain cannot be relieved by changing position.
Read Also: Pancreatitis: When to Worry?
In the end,
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. There are two forms: acute and chronic. The primary sign of pancreatitis is a distinct upper abdominal pain that can spread to the back.
Fever, nausea, vomiting, and fast heartbeat can be associated with acute pancreatitis.
Digestive problems, chronic inflammatory changes, cortical reorganization, and neuroplastic changes are associated with chronic pancreatitis.
Many conditions can conflict with pancreatitis in diagnosis, as all of them have upper abdominal pain such as gastric ulcer, peptic ulcer, and others. There are some differential tools to help diagnosis.
References
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2020). Symptoms & causes of pancreatitis. [online] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/pancreatitis/symptoms-causes.
DI Gheonea, et al. “The Differential Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis.” Current Health Sciences Journal, vol. 35, no. 3, 21 Sept. 2009, p. 159, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3945245/. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Benjamin, Onecia, and Sarah L. Lappin. “Chronic Pancreatitis.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 21 June 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482325/.
Georg Dimcevski, et al. Pain in Chronic Pancreatitis: The Role of Reorganization in the Central Nervous System. Vol. 132, no. 4, 1 Apr. 2007, pp. 1546–1556, https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2007.01.037. Accessed 11 July 2023.
