Chronic pancreatitis in the elderly.

Idiopathic senile chronic pancreatitis (CP) appears to be a special subtype of nonalcoholic CP. Main clinical features are onset after the age of 50 years, prevalence in men, a painless clinical course, marked weight loss associated with diarrhea (steatorrhea) or diabetes mellitus, and pancreatic calcific deposits. Idiopathic senile CP constitutes about two thirds of cases of nonalcoholic CP, but it is rare compared with the incidence of alcoholic CP. The relationship of idiopathic senile CP to the "normal" age-related morphologic and functional abnormalities of the exocrine pancreas is unknown.