PANCREATITIS is a pathologic derangement of the exocrine pancreas that, for lack of a better term, may be considered "inflammatory." This dysfunction results in a variety of clinical syndromes and morphologic changes depending on the stage at which the disease is encountered and the response of the host.Although I am no more certain of the fundamental cause of pancreatitis than other workers in this field I believe strongly that to pursue a consistent program of treatment, certain etiologic assumptions must be made. Until better evidence is presented it is my opinion that in almost all cases of clinical pancreatitis, . . .