How to differentiate acute pancreatitis from chronic pancreatitis

The main differences between acute and chronic pancreatitis are as follows: 1. **Onset and disease course**: Acute pancreatitis develops abruptly and has a short disease course; chronic pancreatitis, however, often develops from acute pancreatitis and is characterized by a long disease course. 2. **Clinical manifestations**: Acute pancreatitis typically presents with severe upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever; chronic pancreatitis commonly manifests as intermittent abdominal pain, steatorrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and diabetes. 3. **Imaging examinations**: In CT scans, acute pancreatitis shows diffuse enlargement of the pancreas and inflammatory exudation; chronic pancreatitis is characterized by pancreatic calcification, atrophy, and dilatation of the pancreatic duct.