Pancreatic metastases were found in 14 of 250 patients (5.6%) with bronchial carcinoma. The most common histological type leading to pancreatic metastases was the small-cell anaplastic carcinoma (86%). Metastasis-induced pancreatitis is rare, having been noted in only one patient (metastases in the head of the pancreas). In two other patients acute pancreatitis was found by autopsy which, however, had been clinically silent. In the other eleven the pancreatic metastases were also clinically silent.