The different morphotypes of patients have been determined by sonography of the upper abdomen and statistical calculation according to a previously published method. Patients have been classified into the following 3 groups: ‘longilignes’, ‘normotypes’ and ‘brévilignes’ which fit with ancient anatomical descriptions. In 74 normal controls, there were 21.6% brévilignes and 44.5% longilignes, in alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 31) 77.4 and 6.4%, respectively, in postnecrotic viral cirrhosis (n = 28). 25.0 and 17.8% and in alcoholic chronic calcifying pancreatitis (n = 25) 12.0 and 76.0%. These differences which are significant between all groups show that the morphotype of the human body is different in cirrhotic and pancreatitis patients. As morphotypes preexist to cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis, this is an argument for the assumed predisposition (possibly hereditary) to cirrhosis and chronic