Causes

Pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes become activated while still in the pancreas, irritating the cells of your pancreas and causing inflammation.

With repeated bouts of acute pancreatitis, damage to the pancreas can occur and lead to chronic pancreatitis. Scar tissue may form in the pancreas, causing loss of function. A poorly functioning pancreas can cause digestion problems and diabetes.

Conditions that can lead to acute pancreatitis include:

• Gallstones
• Alcoholism
• Certain medications
• High triglyceride levels in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia)
• High calcium levels in the blood (hypercalcemia), which may be caused by an overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)
• Pancreatic cancer
• Abdominal surgery
• Cystic fibrosis
• Infection
• Injury to the abdomen
• Obesity
• Trauma

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a procedure used to treat gallstones, also can lead to pancreatitis.

Sometimes, a cause for pancreatitis is never found. This is known as idiopathic pancreatitis.