OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between chronic osteomyelitis and acute pancreatitis in Taiwan.

METHODS:

This was a population-based case-control study utilizing the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. We identified 7678 cases aged 20-84 with newly diagnosed acute pancreatitis during the period of 1998 to 2011. From the same database, 30,712 subjects without diagnosis of acute pancreatitis were selected as controls. The cases and controls were matched with sex, age and index year of diagnosing acute pancreatitis. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval of acute pancreatitis associated with chronic osteomyelitis was examined by the multivariable unconditional logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS:

After adjustment for multiple confounders, the multivariable analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratio of acute pancreatitis was 1.93 for subjects with chronic osteomyelitis (95% confidence interval 1.01, 3.69), when compared with subjects without chronic osteomyelitis.

CONCLUSIONS:

Chronic osteomyelitis correlates with increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Patients with chronic osteomyelitis should be carefully monitored about the risk of acute pancreatitis.