Acute pancreatitis is the most common disorder of the pancreas, and its incidence has increased in all parts of the world, with a general figure of 20–40 cases per 100,000 of the population.
The recent rise has been attributed to two main epidemiological factors, both acting especially in younger adults: a rise in incidence in the general population and an increase in alcohol use. This is what has made acute pancreatitis the most common disorder of the pancreas.
Europe shows the same upward trend, but the predominant cause differs by region. Southern Europe is mainly gallstone-induced, Eastern Europe mainly alcohol-induced, and Northern and Western Europe shows the two causes distributed proportionally.
Most episodes are mild and settle quickly, but about 20% of patients develop moderately severe or severe disease, and that minority accounts for almost all of the morbidity and mortality from acute pancreatitis.