RESUMO
The etiopathogeny and clinical aspects of chronic pancreatitis were studied in 80 patients. From the etiological point of view it was observed that 75 out of the 80 patients (93,75%) had had previous intense alcohol ingestion (mean 239.95 +/- 158.34 g of pure ethanol/day) during an average period of 12.5 years. A study of their diet showed that these patients ate significantly more protein than the controls (p less than 0.001). In 2 of the remaining 5 patients, the familiar form of the disease was characterized; in 1 there was a previous history of biliar disease and no etiological factor could be detected. The pathogenic implications of the excessive consumption of alochol associated with a high protein diet, as well as the main clinical characteristics presented by these patients are discussed.