Occult metabolic bone disease in chronic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) leads to malabsorption and metabolic bone disease (MBD). Alcoholic CP (ACP) and tropical CP (TCP) are the two common types of CP.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the presence of occult MBD in patients with CP and compared the same between ACP and TCP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional, observational study, we included serial patients of CP in different stages and are grouped as ACP (Group 1; n = 67) and TCP (Group 2; n = 35). We determined serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the neck of the left femur. MBD was defined by the presence of either low bone mass (Z-score Results: The study participants (85 males; 17 females) had a mean age of 40.8 ± 12.6 years, CP duration of 3.7 ± 4.7 years, and Body Mass Index of 22.5 ± 3.2 kg/m2. A total of 37 (36%) patients had MBD (osteomalacia in 31 and low bone mass in 6). The frequency of MBD was same in the TCP (16/35) and ACP (21/65) groups (P = 0.1940). Elevated PTH (>70 pg/mL) was seen in 14 patients with 25OHD deficiency and low calcium (<8.5 mg/dL) in 29 patients. BMD did not show a significant correlation with the duration of CP.

CONCLUSION: Occult MBD is seen in a third of patients with CP and is similar irrespective of the etiology. The disease is silent and mandates active screening in all susceptible individuals.