Figure 1. General Models of Inflammation.

Chronic pancreatitis is illustrated as a syndrome that develops over time (left to right). A. Individuals may live for years with multiple susceptibility factors. Patients with very high risk may be candidates for new prevention strategies such as avoiding alcohol. B. When a stochastic event leads to pancreatic injures it initiates the Sentinel Acute Pancreatitis Event (SAPE) with intra-pancreatic immune system activation.

Management includes identification of actionable risk and prevention of RAP. C. Factors such as alcohol, smoking and genetic mutations or presently unidentified factors affect the specialized cells of the pancreas and infiltrating cells to cause various complications. Research efforts are focusing on identifying risk, mechanisms and biomarkers of the progression pathways.