Acute and Chronic Pancreatic Inflammation

Acute and chronic pancreatitis result in considerable morbidity, are increasing in incidence, and have a high mortality rate. Due to the inaccessibility of the pancreas to study, our understanding of the pathophysiology of pancreatitis remains limited. Our current knowledge of the evolution of pancreatitis can be described as a progression from an initial injury to both the acinar and ductal components of the exocrine pancreas to local and systemic inflammatory responses [1]. If resolution fails to occur, infection or chronicity may supervene. In this special issue we present a series of review and original papers that shed light both on our evolving understanding of the basic mechanisms causing pancreatitis as well as current treatment controversies.