The authors focused their attention on assessment of the incidence of chronic pancreatitis in a group of 33 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), (18 women, 15 men). Inflamma- tory bowel disease (IBD) was recorded in 22 patients of the group (i.e. 66.6 %).The authors evalua- ted retrospectively ERCP, US and CT findings in a group of patients where a diagnosis of PSC was established previously. In four patients, i.e. 12.12 % of the group, clinical and X-ray signs of chronic pancreatitis were found. In all cases extrahepatic affection of the biliary tree was invol- ved, as apparent from endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). With the exception of one patient with PSC and a severe form of chronic pancreatitis, in the remainder neither clinical nor laboratory signs of severe pancreatic insufficiency were detected. Pancreatopathy is one of the relatively frequent extrahepatic findings in patients with PSC. The authors recommend therefore to evaluate during endoscopic examination of the biliary system possible changes of the pancrea- tic ducts.

        Key words: primary sclerosing cholangoitis – extrahepatic symptoms – chronic pancreatitis – ERCP – IBD