Extravertebral low back pain: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons for consultation in general practice. Currently, LBP is categorised into specific and non-specific causes. However, extravertebral causes, such as abdominal aortic aneurysm or pancreatitis, are not being considered. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed across MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane library, complemented by a handsearch. Studies conducted between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2020, where LBP was the main symptom, were included. RESULTS: The literature search identified 6040 studies, from which duplicates were removed, leaving 4105 studies for title and abstract screening. Subsequently, 265 publications were selected for inclusion, with an additional 197 publications identified through the handsearch. The majority of the studies were case reports and case series, predominantly originating from specialised care settings. A clear distinction between vertebral or rare causes of LBP was not always possible. A range of diseases were identified as potential extravertebral causes of LBP, encompassing gynaecological, urological, vascular, systemic, and gastrointestinal diseases. Notably, guidelines exhibited inconsistencies in addressing extravertebral causes. DISCUSSION: Prior to this review, there has been no systematic investigation into extravertebral causes of LBP. Although these causes are rare, the absence of robust and reliable epidemiological data hinders a comprehensive understanding, as well as the lack of standardised protocols, which contributes to a lack of accurate description of indicative symptoms. While there are certain disease-specific characteristics, such as non-mechanical or cyclical LBP, and atypical accompanying symptoms like fever, abdominal pain, or leg swelling, that may suggest extravertebral causes, it is important to recognise that these features are not universally present in every patient. CONCLUSION: The differential diagnosis of extravertebral LBP is extensive with relatively low prevalence rates dependent on the clinical setting. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for extravertebral aetiologies, especially in patients presenting with atypical accompanying symptoms.

Diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse for acute pancreatitis: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) in acute pancreatitis (AP) patients. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang, Chinese Biological Medicine databases, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System were searched for relevant studies to explore the potential diagnostic performance of ARFI in AP from inception to November 2023. STATA 14.0 was used to analyze the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI), pooled sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias. RESULTS: Nine studies, involving 533 AP patients and 585 healthy controls, were included. AP patients had significantly higher ARFI levels than healthy controls (SMD: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.88-4.39, P = .001). The area under the curve of ARFI for diagnosing AP was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-1.00), with 98% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Meta-regression identified the study region and study period as the sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis showed that the exclusion of any single study did not materially alter the overall combined effect. No evidence of publication bias was observed in the included studies. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that ARFI exerted satisfactory diagnostic performance in AP.

Gastrointestinal Conditions: Pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders requiring hospitalization. The main causes are gallstones and alcohol use. Patients typically present with upper abdominal pain radiating to the back, worse with eating, plus nausea and vomiting. Diagnosis requires meeting two of three criteria: upper abdominal pain, an elevated serum lipase or amylase level greater than 3 times the normal limit, and imaging findings consistent with pancreatitis. After pancreatitis is diagnosed, the Atlanta classification and identification of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome can identify patients at high risk of complications. Management includes fluid resuscitation and hydration maintenance, pain control that may require opioids, and early feeding. Feeding recommendations have changed and "nothing by mouth" is no longer recommended. Rather, oral feeding should be initiated, as tolerated, within the first 24 hours. If it is not tolerated, enteral feeding via nasogastric or nasojejunal tubes should be initiated. Antibiotics are indicated only with radiologically confirmed infection or systemic infection symptoms. Surgical or endoscopic interventions are needed for biliary pancreatitis or obstructive pancreatitis with cholangitis. One in five patients will have recurrent episodes of pancreatitis; alcohol and smoking are major risk factors. Some develop chronic pancreatitis, associated with chronic pain plus pancreatic dysfunction, including endocrine failure (insulin insufficiency) and/or exocrine failure that requires long-term vitamin supplementation.

An Unusual Case of Treatment-naive HIV Patient Presenting with Acute Pancreatitis in Sepsis with Infective Endocarditis and Bilateral Pulmonary Thromboembolism.

Acute pancreatitis is seen in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a result of antiretroviral drug therapy and hypertriglyceridemia. Thrombotic complications are known in patients of HIV as a result of endothelial dysfunction, and right-sided infective endocarditis (IE) is seen in HIV patients mostly due to intravenous (IV) drug abuse. However, the occurrence of acute pancreatitis with sepsis, IE, and bilateral thromboembolism in the same patient is rare. Here, we report this case of a treatment-naive nondrug abuser HIV patient with acute pancreatitis in sepsis, IE, and bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism who recovered completely with treatment.

Acute fatty liver with pancreatitis in pregnancy after in vitro fertilization - literature review and case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute fatty liver disease in pregnancy (AFLP) is a low-incidence condition that usually affects women in the third trimester of pregnancy or the early postpartum period. This article reviews recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of AFLP with pancreatitis in pregnancy induced by in vitro fertilization (IVF). CASE REPORT: A rare case of AFLP and pancreatitis occurred in a pregnant woman with an IVF-induced twin pregnancy delivered by cesarean section. Diagnosis of this condition is difficult, and delay in accurate diagnosis and timely and appropriate treatment can lead to serious complications such as acute pancreatitis or extensive damage to multiple organs and systems, which can have significant consequences. The main therapeutic approach was the rapid administration of drugs accompanied by therapeutic measures to support liver function and pancreatic complications. CONCLUSIONS: We would like to reemphasize the importance of multidisciplinary management and rapid intervention in AFLP with acute pancreatitis after IVF.

Acute pancreatitis in children and adolescents: diagnostic and therapeutic approach according to management guidelines in a group of pediatricians.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis is observed more frequently in the pediatric age. Currently, there are recommendation guidelines for its proper diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of the international recommendations on acute pancreatitis in pediatrics of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in a group of pediatricians. METHODS: Observational, multicenter study, through a survey applied to pediatricians and pediatric residents. RESULTS: 48.8% of physicians had prior knowledge of the guidelines for the treatment of acute pancreatitis in children. 72.4% knew the current criteria for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. There were no differences in the majority of responses between pediatricians and pediatric residents. CONCLUSIONS: Although only half of the respondents followed the guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis, about three-quarters adequately use the criteria for diagnosis. There is adequate knowledge about the prescription of antibiotics and pancreatitis follow-up. There is lack of knowledge on the recommendation of monitoring vital signs and the precise time to perform cholecystectomy in the pancreatitis of biliary origin.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La pancreatitis aguda se observa con mayor frecuencia en la edad pediátrica. Actualmente existen guías de recomendaciones para su adecuado diagnóstico y tratamiento. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el nivel de conocimiento de las recomendaciones internacionales sobre pancreatitis aguda de la North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition en un grupo de pediatras. MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional, multicéntrico, mediante una encuesta aplicada a médicos pediatras y médicos pediatras en formación. RESULTADOS: El 48.8% de los médicos tenían conocimiento de las guías para tratamiento de pancreatitis aguda en niños. El 72.4% conocían los criterios actuales para el diagnóstico de pancreatitis aguda. No hubo diferencias en la mayoría de las respuestas entre médicos pediatras y médicos pediatras en formación. CONCLUSIONES: Aunque solo la mitad de los encuestados conocían la guía para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda, cerca de tres cuartas partes utilizan adecuadamente los criterios para el diagnóstico. Existe adecuado conocimiento sobre la prescripción de antibióticos y el seguimiento posterior a la pancreatitis aguda. Hay déficit en el conocimiento sobre las recomendaciones de la monitorización de los signos vitales y el momento adecuado para realizar la colecistectomía ante una pancreatitis de origen biliar.

Assessment of triglyceride clearance of haemoperfusion from three cases of hypertriglyceridaemia-induced acute pancreatitis: a case series.

Rapid reduction of plasma triglycerides (TG) is believed to improve the outcome of pancreatitis in the context of hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG)-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP). Previous studies have suggested that haemoperfusion (HP) with the Jafron cartridge series could be effective for reducing TG concentrations in patients with HTG-AP. However, the clearance capacity (CC) for TG removal has not been reported. This case series reports on data from three patients with HTG-AP who underwent HP with HA230 or HA330 cartridges. Blood samples were collected from both before and after the cartridge circuit every 30 min and the CC was calculated. Twelve pairs of blood samples were collected for each type of HP cartridge. The mean ± SD CC of the HA230 cartridge for TG removal in this case series was 0.009781 ± 1.117235 ml/min (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.7000762, 0.7196384 ml). The mean ± SD CC of the HA330 cartridge for TG removal in this case series was 0.344914 ± 1.412183 ml/min (95% CI, -0.5523448, 1.2421721 ml). Based on the findings of this small case series, special caution is advised when considering the use of the HA230 and HA330 cartridges for reducing blood TG concentration pending further conclusive evidence from larger studies.

Evaluation of TikTok videos on acute pancreatitis: content quality and reliability analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common acute digestive system disorder, with patients often turning to TikTok for AP-related information. However, the platform's video quality on AP has not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of videos about AP on TikTok, and the secondary purpose is to study the related factors of video quality. METHODS: This study involved retrieving AP-related videos from TikTok, determining, and analyzing them based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data were extracted and compiled for evaluation. Video quality was scored using the DISCERN instrument and the Health on the Net (HONcode) score, complemented by introducing the Acute Pancreatitis Content Score (APCS). Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between video quality scores and user engagement metrics such as likes, comments, favorites, retweets, and video duration. RESULTS: A total of 111 TikTok videos were included for analysis, and video publishers were composed of physicians (89.18%), news media organizations (13.51%), individual users (5.41%), and medical institutions (0.9%). The majority of videos focused on AP-related educational content (64.87%), followed by physicians' diagnostic and treatment records (15.32%), and personal experiences (19.81%). The mean scores for DISCERN, HONcode, and APCS were 33.05 ± 7.87, 3.09 ± 0.93, and 1.86 ± 1.30, respectively. The highest video scores were those posted by physicians (35.17 ± 7.02 for DISCERN, 3.31 ± 0.56 for HONcode, and 1.94 ± 1.34 for APCS, respectively). According to the APCS, the main contents focused on etiology (n = 55, 49.5%) and clinical presentations (n = 36, 32.4%), followed by treatment (n = 24, 21.6%), severity (n = 20, 18.0%), prevention (n = 19, 17.1%), pathophysiology (n = 17, 15.3%), definitions (n = 13, 11.7%), examinations (n = 10, 9%), and other related content. There was no correlation between the scores of the three evaluation tools and the number of followers, likes, comments, favorites, and retweets of the video. However, DISCERN (r = 0.309) and APCS (r = 0.407) showed a significant positive correlation with video duration, while HONcode showed no correlation with the duration of the video. CONCLUSIONS: The general quality of TikTok videos related to AP is poor; however, the content posted by medical professionals shows relatively higher quality, predominantly focusing on clinical presentations and etiologies. There is a discernible correlation between video duration and quality ratings, indicating that a combined approach incorporating the guideline can comprehensively evaluate AP-related content on TikTok.

Acute peripartum pancreatitis complicating seronegative antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in pregnancy.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is an autoimmune condition with clinical manifestations of vascular thrombosis and adverse pregnancy outcomes including recurrent miscarriage, fetal loss, growth restriction and pre-eclampsia with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies on laboratory examination. Treatment is targeted at preventing recurrent thrombosis and improving pregnancy outcomes. Commonly, treatment includes aspirin and anticoagulation, however, newer immunomodulatory treatments may also improve outcomes. The case describes a patient with a history of multiple miscarriages and pregnancy losses, fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia, and pulmonary embolism. Because of her significant adverse pregnancy outcomes, she was treated with certolizumab with a successful delivery at 33 weeks and 6 days. She also developed acute pancreatitis in the postpartum period. This is a rare condition, affecting 1-14/10 000 births. The pancreatitis resolved with conservative management, and she had an uncomplicated interval cholecystectomy.

Value of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 for predicting acute pancreatitis severity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and the severity of acute pancreatitis and its diagnostic utility. METHODS: This study was carried out by searching Chinese and English literature from the establishment of the database to July 9, 2023, systematically, and assessing the quality and heterogeneity of the articles included. RESULTS: Thirteen studies with a total of 986 patients were included. Patients with severe acute pancreatitis showed higher levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 compared with mild acute pancreatitis [weighted mean difference=76.64 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval (95%CI 50.39-102.89, p<0.001)]. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 predicted pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were 79%, 74%, and 0.85 for severe acute pancreatitis, with some heterogeneity (I2>50% or p<0.05). In the subgroup analysis, cutoff >150 pg/mL was found to be a heterogeneous factor. CONCLUSION: Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 is a reliable tool for identifying acute pancreatitis severity, but only as a screening tool.

Elevated venous lactate level as an early predictive marker of organ failure in acute pancreatitis: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between venous lactate levels and the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective data analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. The comparative assessment encompassed baseline characteristics, laboratory data, illness severity, local consequences, and organ failure instances. This comparison was performed between patients exhibiting normal serum lactic acid levels (HL) and those displaying elevated HL levels. The association between serum HL levels and other pertinent clinical markers was investigated using linear regression. Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the utility of elevated serum lactate levels in identifying high-risk groups. RESULTS: Significantly elevated serum HL levels were observed in patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in contrast to those with mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) (p<0.01). Multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that higher lactate levels independently predicted organ failure (95% CI 0.738-0.902, p<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the lactate (LAC) cut-off value of 2.45 mmol/L yielded sensitivity and specificity values of 76.5% and 79.1%, respectively, for predicting AP-associated organ failure. The corresponding area under the curve (AUC) was 0.820. CONCLUSIONS: In AP patients, elevated serum HL levels signify disease severity and hold predictive potential for assessing the risk of organ failure.

Aetiology, presentation and outcomes of patients presenting with acute pancreatitis in a tertiary care hospital.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a multi-causal disease with a high rate of hospita lisation. Only a few cl inical stud ies have i nvestig ated the aetiologic al backgroun d, sever it y, and outcome of AP in Pakistan. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the aforementioned factors and correlate them w ith outcomes in a tert iary care set ting. This was a cros s -sec tional, retrospective study conducted at the Department of Gast roe nterolo gy, Aga Khan University Hospita l, Karachi, from Januar y 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Data was analysed using statis tical s oftware SPSS version 25. Vomiting was th e predominant presenting complaint and was seen in 139 (78.5%) patients. Gallstones were the predominant cause in 68 (37%) patients, followed by idiop athic panc reatitis in 22 (12%) p atients. Thirteen (7.1 % ) pat ients expire d. Patients with syst emi c complications were lik ely to suffer fro m severe disease (p=0.0 2), whereas those with lo cal complications were at an increa sed ris k of mor tal it y (p=0.04). Due to lac k of diagnostic facilities, the aetiology of a large number of AP cases remains unknown.

Innovative pathways allow safe discharge of mild acute pancreatitis from the emergency room.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a leading cause of gastrointestinal-related hospitalizations in the United States, resulting in 300000 admissions per year with an estimated cost of over $2.6 billion annually. The severity of AP is determined by the presence of pancreatic complications and end-organ damage. While moderate/severe pancreatitis can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, the majority of patients have a mild presentation with an uncomplicated course and mortality rate of less than 2%. Despite favorable outcomes, the majority of mild AP patients are admitted, contributing to healthcare cost and burden. In this Editorial we review the performance of an emergency department (ED) pathway for patients with mild AP at a tertiary care center with the goal of reducing hospitalizations, resource utilization, and costs after several years of implementation of the pathway. We discuss the clinical course and outcomes of mild AP patients enrolled in the pathway who were successfully discharged from the ED compared to those who were admitted to the hospital, and identify predictors of successful ED discharge to select patients who can potentially be triaged to the pathway. We conclude that by implementing innovative clinical pathways which are established and reproducible, selected AP patients can be safely discharged from the ED, reducing hospitalizations and healthcare costs, without compromising clinical outcomes. We also identify a subset of patients most likely to succeed in this pathway.

Predictive value of the Ranson and BISAP scoring systems for the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To systematically assess and compare the predictive value of the Ranson and Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) scoring systems for the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched until February 15, 2023. Outcomes in this analysis included severity and prognosis [mortality, organ failure, pancreatic necrosis, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission]. The revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool was used to evaluate the quality of diagnostic accuracy studies. The threshold effect was evaluated for each outcome. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC) as well as 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The DeLong test was used for AUC comparisons. For the outcome evaluated by over 9 studies, publication bias was assessed using the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. RESULTS: Totally 17 studies of 5476 AP patients were included. For severity, the pooled sensitivity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.87, 0.98) and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.27, 0.92); the pooled specificity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.74 (0.52, 0.88) and 0.95 (95%CI: 0.85, 0.98); the pooled AUC of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.93, 0.97) and 0.94 (95%CI: 0.92, 0.96) (P = 0.480). For mortality, the pooled sensitivity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.73, 0.96) and 0.77 (95%CI: 0.58, 0.89); the pooled specificity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.79 (95%CI: 0.68, 0.87) and 0.90 (95%CI: 0.86, 0.93); the pooled AUC of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.91 (95%CI: 0.88, 0.93) and 0.92 (95%CI: 0.90, 0.94) (P = 0.480). For organ failure, the pooled sensitivity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.84 (95%CI: 0.76, 0.90) and 0.78 (95%CI: 0.60, 0.90); the pooled specificity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.84 (95%CI: 0.63, 0.94) and 0.90 (95%CI: 0.72, 0.97); the pooled AUC of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.86 (95%CI: 0.82, 0.88) and 0.90 (95%CI: 0.87, 0.93) (P = 0.110). For pancreatic necrosis, the pooled sensitivity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.63 (95%CI: 0.35, 0.84) and 0.63 (95%CI: 0.23, 0.90); the pooled specificity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.90 (95%CI: 0.77, 0.96) and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.89, 0.96); the pooled AUC of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.87 (95%CI: 0.84, 0.90) and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.91, 0.95) (P = 0.001). For ICU admission, the pooled sensitivity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.86 (95%CI: 0.77, 0.92) and 0.63 (95%CI: 0.52, 0.73); the pooled specificity of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.58 (95%CI: 0.55, 0.61) and 0.84 (95%CI: 0.81, 0.86); the pooled AUC of the Ranson and BISAP was 0.92 (95%CI: 0.81, 1.00) and 0.86 (95%CI: 0.67, 1.00) (P = 0.592). CONCLUSION: The Ranson score was an applicable tool for predicting severity and prognosis of AP patients with reliable diagnostic accuracy in resource and time-limited settings. Future large-scale studies are needed to verify the findings.

Recent advances in IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis.

The incidence of IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis (IgG4-AIP) is high in Asia and other countries, and unnecessary treatment is often undertaken due to both missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis in clinical practice. Although IgG4-AIP has attracted increasing attention, the details of IgG4-AIP pathogenesis and systemic immune response, including its relationship to tumor pathogenesis, are still unclear. In recent years, research on serum immunological detection, pathological features, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment measures for IgG4-AIP has gradually increased. It is of great importance to summarize and discuss the latest progress regarding IgG4-AIP disease.

Novel anthropometric indicators of visceral obesity predict the severity of hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Obesity substantially contributes to the onset of acute pancreatitis (AP) and influences its progression to severe AP. Although body mass index (BMI) is a widely used anthropometric parameter, it fails to delineate the distribution pattern of adipose tissue. To circumvent this shortcoming, the predictive efficacies of novel anthropometric indicators of visceral obesity, such as lipid accumulation products (LAP), cardiometabolic index (CMI), body roundness index (BRI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), and Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) were examined to assess the severity of AP. METHOD: The body parameters and laboratory indices of 283 patients with hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) were retrospectively analysed, and the six novel anthropometric indicators of visceral obesity were calculated. The severity of HLAP was determined using the revised Atlanta classification. The correlation between the six indicators and HLAP severity was evaluated, and the predictive efficacy of the indicators was assessed using area under the curve (AUC). The differences in diagnostic values of the six indicators were also compared using the DeLong test. RESULTS: Patients with moderate to severe AP had higher VAI, CMI, and LAP than patients with mild AP (all P < 0.001). The highest AUC in predicting HLAP severity was observed for VAI, with a value of 0.733 and 95% confidence interval of 0.678-0.784. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated significant correlations between HLAP severity and VAI, CMI, and LAP indicators. These indicators, particularly VAI, which displayed the highest predictive power, were instrumental in forecasting and evaluating the severity of HLAP.

Visual Interpretation of Radiomics Features in Filtered Computed Tomography Images during the Portal Phase of Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Current research on radiomics for diagnosing and prognosing acute pancreatitis predominantly revolves around model development and testing. However, there is a notable absence of ongoing interpretation and analysis regarding the physical significance of these models and features. Additionally, there is a lack of extensive exploration of visual information within the images. This limitation hinders the broad applicability of radiomics findings. This study aims to address this gap by specifically analyzing filtered Computed Tomography (CT) image features of acute pancreatitis to identify meaningful visual markers in the pancreas and peripancreatic area. METHODS: Numerous filtered CT images were obtained through pyradiomics. The window width and window level were fine-tuned to emphasize the pancreas and peripancreatic regions. Subsequently, the LightGBM algorithm was employed to conduct an embedded feature screening, followed by statistical analysis to identify features with statistical significance (p-value < 0.01). Within the purview of the study, for each filtering method, features of high importance to the preceding prediction model were incorporated into the analysis. The image visual markers were then systematically sought in reverse, and their medical interpretation was undertaken to a certain extent. RESULTS: In Laplacian of Gaussian filtered images within the pancreatic region, severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) exhibited fewer small areas with repetitive greyscale patterns. Conversely, in the peripancreatic region, SAP displayed greater irregularity in both area size and the distribution of greyscale levels. In logarithmic images, SAP demonstrated reduced low greyscale connectivity in the pancreatic region, while showcasing a higher average variation in greyscale between two adjacent pixels in the peripancreatic region. Moreover, in gradient images, SAP presented with decreased repetition of two adjacent pixel greyscales within the pancreatic region, juxtaposed with an increased inhomogeneity in the size of the same greyscale region within the δ range in the peripancreatic region. CONCLUSIONS: Various filtered images convey distinct physical significance and properties. The selection of the appropriate filtered image, contingent upon the characteristics of the Region of Interest (ROI), enables a more comprehensive capture of the heterogeneity of the disease.

Clinical Significance of Serum CTRP3 Level in the Prediction of Cardiac and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Dysfunction in Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) has been demonstrated to play a protective role in mice with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). However, its clinical significance in SAP remains unknown. This study was conducted to explore the clinical values of serum C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) level in the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction (CD) and intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction (IMBD) in SAP. Through RT-qPCR, we observed decreased CTRP3 level in the serum of SAP patients. Serum CTRP3 level was correlated with C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, creatine, modified computed tomography severity index score, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score. The receiver-operating characteristic curve revealed that CTRP3 serum level < 1.005 was conducive to SAP diagnosis with 72.55% sensitivity and 60.00% specificity, CTRP3 < 0.8400 was conducive to CD diagnosis with 80.49% sensitivity and specificity 65.57%, CTRP3 < 0.8900 was conducive to IMBD diagnosis with 94.87% sensitivity and 63.49% specificity, and CTRP3 < 0.6250 was conducive to the diagnosis of CD and IMBD co-existence with 65.22% sensitivity and 89.87% specificity. Generally, CTRP3 was downregulated in the serum of SAP patients and served as a candidate biomarker for the diagnosis of SAP and SAP-induced CD and IMBD.

A comparison of scoring systems and biomarkers to predict the severity of acute pancreatitis in patients referring to the emergency clinic.

To investigate scoring systems and biomarkers for determining the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Between January and July 2023, 100 patients with AP diagnosed and treated in the emergency department were included. AP was divided into 2 groups according to severity: mild AP and moderately severe AP (MSAP-SAP), according to the revised Atlanta Classification in 2012. Demographic characteristics, severity, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit, red cell distribution width from whole blood taken at admission and 48 hours later, C-reactive protein (CRP) and biochemistry values, Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP), Pancreatitis Activity Scoring System (PASS), and harmless AP score scores were recorded retrospectively. Our variables, which were found to be significant in multiple logistic regression results, were found to increase MSAP-SAP expectation by 4.36-, 7.85-, 6.63 and 5.80 times in the presence of CRP > 47.10, WBC > 13.10, PASS > 0, and necrotizing computed tomography findings, respectively. It was detected that the risk factor which was found significant as a single variable affecting the ICU admission increased the risk of ICU requirement by 28.88 when PASS > 0, by 3.96 when BISAP > 1, and it increased the Atlanta score by 9.93-fold. We found that WBC and CRP values at the time of hospital admission and WBC, CRP, and red cell distribution width values after 48 had the highest accuracy in determining AP disease severity. BISAP, which was found to be significant in determining MSAP-SAP expectations, lost its significance in multiple logistic regression results, and PASS was found to be effective. The PASS is an important score in the clinical evaluation of patients with AP and in determining the need for ICU hospitalization.

Neutrophil-Creatinine Index: A New Prognostic Factor for Severity of Acute Pancreatitis.

Background and Objectives: Determining the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) is the main goal in the early stage of AP. The aim of this study was to compare laboratory parameters and indices, including the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the neutrophil-creatinine index (NCI), at admission in order to predict the severity of AP. Materials and Methods: Data from 421 patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of AP were collected retrospectively. Disease severity was assessed using the Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and the revised Atlanta classification (RAC). BISAP was graded as mild and severe, and RAC was graded as mild (MAP), moderately severe (MSAP), and severe (SAP). The laboratory parameters and indices, including the NLR and NCI, were compared. Results: Of the patients, 70 (16.6%) had severe AP according to BISAP; the AP subgroups according to the RAC were as follows: MAP (n = 213), MSAP (n = 158), and SAP (n = 50). The NCI had the highest area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curve value (0.862), demonstrating severe disease according to BISAP, with a sensitivity of 78.6% and a specificity of 79.8%. Age (OR:1.046), white blood cell count (WBC) (OR:1.141), hematocrit (OR:1.081), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR:1.040), and NCI (OR:1.076) were independently associated with severe disease, according to the multivariate analysis results, and were determined as components of the newly developed nomogram. The AUROC of the nomogram (0.891) was superior to the AUROCs of all the components of the nomogram except the NCI. Moreover, the NCI was the only parameter to distinguish MSAP from MAP (OR:1.119, 95% CI: 1.015-1.235, p = 0.023) and SAP from MSAP (OR:1.095, 95% CI: 1.031-1.162, p = 0.003). Conclusions: The present study enabled the identification of the neutrophil-creatinine index as a new prognostic tool for the assessment of AP severity at hospital admission.