A retrospective study of 114 cases of acute pancreatitis in Kuwait from 1982 to 1983 was per-formed. Seventy-four percent of the medical files were retrievable. The frequency of admitted patients with acute pancreatitis was 2. 3/100, 000 inhabitants in 1982 and 2. 9/100, 000 in 1983. In 50% of these cases, acute pancreatitis was associated with biliary disease and only 6% with alcohol abuse. In 38% of the patients the etiology was unknown. However, only one-third of the of the patients with biliary pancreatitis were operated on during their first admission, in spite of the currently accepted practice of early surgery. Application of the concept of immediate surgery could give socioeconomic benefits with shorter hospitalization and sick leave