Etiology

• Biliary pancreatitis (∼ 40% of cases; mostly caused by gallstones)

• Alcohol-induced (∼ 20% of cases)

• Idiopathic (∼ 25% of cases)

• Hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis: caused by severe hypertriglyceridemia (> 1,000 mg/dL)

• Hypercalcemia

• Post-ERCP

• Drug-induced pancreatitis

  • Steroids

  • Azathioprine

  • Sulfonamides

  • Loop and thiazide diuretics

  • Estrogen

  • Protease inhibitors

  • NRTIs

  • Anticonvulsants (e.g., valproate)

• Scorpion stings

• Viral infections (e.g., coxsackievirus B, mumps)

• Trauma (especially in children)

• Autoimmune and rheumatological disorders (e.g., Sjögren syndrome)

• Pancreas divisum

• Hereditary (e.g., mutation of PRSS1 gene, cystic fibrosis

I GET SMASHED: Idiopathic, Gallstones, Ethanol, Trauma, Steroids, Mumps, Autoimmune, Scorpion poison, Hypercalcemia and hypertriglyceridemia, ERCP, and Drugs are the most common causes of acute pancreatitis.