Chronic pancreatitis has been defined as a continuing inflammatory disease of the pancreas characterized by irreversible morphologic changes that typically cause pain and/or permanent loss of function [17] . The pathogenesis of pain in this condition remains to be satisfactorily established. We examined the association, if any, of pain with mast cells as quantified in autopsy specimens of patients with a history of painful and non-painful chronic pancreatitis and normal controls. Significantly more mast cells were present in pancreatic tissue from patients with a history of painful chronic pancreatitis, indicating an association with this condition and a potential role for these cells in the pathogenesis of pain in painful chronic pancreatitis.