FCPD: An unusual cause of abdominal pain; reminder of important clinical lesson

ABSTRACT

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) is a type of chronic calcific non-alcoholic pancreatitis. This type is reported mostly in the developing tropical and subtropical countries. Definite diagnosis of FCPD requires younger age of onset, history of malnutrition, and presence of diabetes mellitus along with extensive pancreatic calcification and ductal calculi. Pain abdomen is one of the classical clinical triad of the disease with steatorrhoea and diabetes. In this case report we are presenting a case of 17 years old girl with past history of recurrent pain abdomen for last two years. She came to casualty with complaints of generalized weakness along with pain abdomen. She was diagnosed as case of FCPD with uncontrolled hyperglycemia on subsequent investigations. Importance of this case is that patient has multiple episode of abdominal pain over two years and she consulted several practitioners for the same and she was treated symptomatically without proper work-up. However, FCPD is a rare entity but should be considered in case of recurrent abdominal pain in young patient.