Gastroenterology
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Multicenter Study
Pain in chronic pancreatitis: the role of reorganization in the central nervous system.
In various chronic pain conditions cortical reorganization seems to play a role in the manifestations. The aim of this study was to investigate cortical reorganization in patients with pain caused by chronic pancreatitis. ⋯ The findings indicate that pain in chronic pancreatitis leads to changes in cortical projections of the nociceptive system. Such findings also have been described in somatic pain disorders, among them neuropathic pain. Taken together with the clinical data this suggests a neuropathic component in pancreatic pain, which may influence the approach to treatment.