Tropical calcific pancreatitis

Tropical calcific pancreatitis is a nonalcoholic type of chronic pancreatitis affecting the childrens and young adults characterized clinically by recurrent abdominal pain in childhood, diabetes in adolescent and death in early childhood. Although the exact etiology is not known, malnutrition and chronic cassava toxicity either singly or in combination are presumed to be the prime factor in pancreatic injury unopposed by detoxification of free radical. Moreover micronutrients deficiency, oxidant stress and antioxidant deficiency might play substantial role. Diabetes secondary to tropical calcific pancreatitis is a distinctive and frequent problem, being named by W.H.O. study group as 'fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) and classified as one of the variant of the so-called malnutrition related diabetes mellitus (MRDM).