Purpose of review: As in previous reviews in this journal, this review is focused on the most important new observations in chronic pancreatitis made in the last year.
Recent findings: Important observations included the search for biomarkers and alternative methods for the detection of early chronic pancreatitis; stellate cell activation and their role in fibrogenesis; the natural history of chronic pancreatitis; reports outlining the complexity in diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis; emerging roles of endoscopic ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in chronic pancreatitis diagnosis; a better understanding of neurobiology of chronic pancreatitis pain; and the potential role of surgery as first-line therapy in advanced chronic pancreatitis.
Summary: In 2007, major advances were made in our understanding of central processing in chronic pancreatitis pain. New techniques are being utilized in search of a better means to diagnose early chronic pancreatitis. Important prospective studies are emerging, which compare endoscopic and surgical interventions. Furthermore, the complexities of diagnosing autoimmune pancreatitis are being recognized. Overall, the future is promising as advances in genomic and proteomic techniques are applied to improve our understanding of chronic pancreatitis.