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In several studies, researchers have suggested that cigarette smoking is a cause of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Because alcohol is a well-established risk factor for CP and heavy drinkers often smoke, this association has been difficult to analyze. To determine whether smoking causes idiopathic CP (ICP), researchers retrospectively evaluated data on 166 patients from Italy and Switzerland. CP diagnoses were based on patient history, laboratory and radiologic findings, and pancreatic histology. The endpoint for the study was a finding of pancreatic calcification, identified by plain x-rays, ultrasound, or computed tomography scan. ICP was diagnosed when clinical evaluation or diagnostic procedures excluded other known causes of CP. In both ce…