Chronic pancreatitis: treatment issues and possible solutions

Chronic pancreatitis: treatment issues and possible solutions

A.M. Osadchuk, I.D. Loranskaya 

Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow 

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a serious condition accompanied by a significant decrease in quality of life, disability, and early mortality. Currently, there is a significant increase in the incidence of CP and its rejuvenation. Difficulties in treating CP are accounted for by numerous symptoms due to disease progression and its complications. Despite the use of various drugs for CP, antispasmodic therapy with trimebutine is recommended for its principal manifestations, i.e., pancreatogenic pain and relative exocrine insufficiency (given its contribution to impaired gastrointestinal motor function), and prevention of CP complications. This is particularly relevant in light of recent studies demonstrating not only the antispasmodic, prokinetic, and analgesic effects of trimebutine but also its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antibacterial effects. The multitarget action of trimebutine is of great interest for further research. However, the current knowledge suggests that trimebutine as a part of complex therapy for CP and concomitant functional gastrointestinal disorders reduces manifestations of relative exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and severity of pancreatogenic pain and prevents recurrences.

Keywords: chronic pancreatitis, trimebutine, pancreatogenic pain, multitarget effect, exocrine insufficiency, treatment prospects.

For citation: Osadchuk A.M., Loranskaya I.D. Chronic pancreatitis: treatment issues and possible solutions. RMJ. 2023;10:68–71.