Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute mild gallstone pancreatitis. Is there a role for routine admission contrast-enhanced CT Scan?

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of admission contrast-enhanced CT scans in formulating strategies for performing early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cases of acute gallstone pancreatitis. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with acute gallstone pancreatitis underwent a CT scan upon admission (after at least 24 h from symptom onset) to confirm diagnosis and assess peripancreatic fluid, collections, gallstones, and common bile duct stones. Patients with mild acute gallstone pancreatitis, following the Atlanta classification and Baltazar score A or B, were identified as candidates for early cholecystectomy (within 72 h of admission). RESULTS: Within the analyzed period, 272 patients were diagnosed with mild acute gallstone pancreatitis according to the Atlanta Guidelines. A total of 33 patients (12.1%) were excluded: 17 (6.25%) due to SIRS, 10 (3.6%) due to local complications identified in CT (Balthazar D/E), and 6 (2.2%) due to severe comorbidities. Enhanced CT scans accurately detected gallstones, common bile duct stones, pancreatic enlargement, inflammation, pancreatic collections, and peripancreatic fluid. Among the cohort, 239 patients were selected for early laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Routine intraoperative cholangiogram was conducted in all cases, and where choledocholithiasis was present, successful treatment occurred through common bile duct exploration. Only one case required conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery. There were no observed severe complications or mortality. CONCLUSION: Admission CT scans are instrumental in identifying clinically stable patients with local tomographic complications that contraindicate early surgery. Patients meeting the criteria for mild acute gallstone pancreatitis, as per Atlanta guidelines, without SIRS or local complications (Baltazar D/E), can safely undergo early cholecystectomy within the initial 72 h of admission.

ACUTE ABDOMEN IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: ETIOLOGY, COMORBIDITY AND SEVERITY OF 1,523 PATIENTS.

BACKGROUND: Clinical features and outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit due to acute abdomen are important to be investigated. AIMS: To evaluate the outcomes of critically ill subjects with acute abdomen according to etiology, comorbidity and severity. METHODS: Outcomes of 1,523 patients (878 women, mean age 66±18 years) consecutively admitted to a specialized gastrointestinal intensive care unit with different causes of acute abdomen from January 2012 to December 2019, were retrospectively evaluated according to etiology, comorbidity and severity. RESULTS: The most common causes of acute abdomen were obstructive and inflammatory, particularly large bowel obstruction (27%), small bowel obstruction (18%) and acute pancreatitis (17%). Overall mortality was 13%. Surgery was required in 34% of patients. Median length of stay in the hospital was 9 [1-101] days. On univariate analysis mortality was significantly associated with age, APACHE II, Charlson comorbidity index, requirement for surgery and malignancy (p<0.0001), but only APACHE II, Charlson comorbidity index and surgical interventional remained significant on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit with acute abdomen constitute a heterogeneous group of subjects with different prognosis. Mortality is more related to the severity of the disease, comorbidity and need for surgery than to the etiology of the acute abdomen.

Post-acute pancreatitis diabetes: A complication waiting for more recognition and understanding.

Post-acute pancreatitis diabetes (PAPD) is the second most common type of diabetes below type 2 diabetes mellitus. Due to the boom in research on this entity carried out during the last decade, its recognition has increased. However, much of the medical community still does not recognize it as a medium and long-term complication of acute pancreatitis (AP). Recent prospective cohort studies show that its incidence is about 23% globally and 34.5% in patients with severe AP. With the overall increase in the incidence of AP this complication will be certainly seen more frequently. Due to its high morbidity, mortality and difficult control, early detection and treatment are essential. However, its risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms are not clearly defined. Its diagnosis should be made excluding pre-existing diabetes and applying the criteria of the American Diabetes Association after 90 d of resolution of one or more AP episodes. This review will show the evidence published so far on the incidence and prevalence, risk factors, possible pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical outcomes, clinical characteristics and preventive and corrective management of PAPD. Some important gaps needing to be clarified in forthcoming studies will also be discussed.

[Recurrent acute pancreatitis secondary to sphincter of oddi dysfunction: Case report]. / Pancreatitis aguda recurrente secundaria a disfunción del esfínter de oddi: Reporte de caso.

Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) is a rare pathology that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with biliary pain episodes or recurrent acute pancreatitis and a background of cholecystectomy. Generally, these are patients with multiple consultations where this pathology has considerably affected their quality of life. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings, serological markers and supporting diagnostic tests requested according to the suspected sphincteric component. The most effective treatment is endoscopic sphincterotomy. The use of prosthesis is accepted but debated. We present the case of a male patient in his forties who consulted for multiple episodes of recurrent acute pancreatitis with etiology studies suspecting dysfunction of the pancreatic sphincter of Oddi and who was taken to endoscopic management with improvement of his clinical picture.

Acute pancreatitis caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus activity: A case report and literature review.

A 32-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus came to the rheumatology outpatient clinic reporting abdominal pain for a week, along with fever, arthralgias, myalgias, alopecia, asthenia and dyspnea on exertion over the last two months. She was hypotensive and tachycardic, requiring admission to the intensive care unit. She was diagnosed with lupus-related acute pancreatitis, an unusual complication occurring in less than 1% of cases. Most cases are mild and self-limited; however, severe and life-threatening events with multiple organ failure are possible. This article is a case report of lupus-related critical acute pancreatitis, and a literature review.

Mujer de 32 años con lupus eritematoso sistémico acude a consulta externa de reumatología por dolor abdominal de una semana de evolución, además de fiebre, artralgias, mialgias, alopecia, astenia y disnea de esfuerzo de 2 meses de evolución. También presentó hipotensión y taquicardia, por lo que requirió ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Le diagnosticaron pancreatitis aguda relacionada con el lupus, que es una complicación inusual que ocurre en menos del 1% de los pacientes. La mayoría de los casos son leves y autolimitados, sin embargo, es posible que se presenten eventos graves y potencialmente mortales, con disfunción multiorgánica. Este artículo es un reporte de caso de una pancreatitis aguda crítica relacionada con lupus y una revisión de la literatura.

Acute pancreatitis caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus activity: a case report and literature review / Pancreatitis aguda por actividad del lupus eritematoso sistémico: reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura

A 32-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus came to the rheumatology outpatient clinic reporting abdominal pain for a week, along with fever, arthralgias, myalgias, alopecia, asthenia and dyspnea on exertion over the last two months. She was hypotensive and tachycardic, requiring admission to the intensive care unit. She was diagnosed with lupus-related acute pancreatitis, an unusual complication occurring in less than 1% of cases. Most cases are mild and self-limited; however, severe and life-threatening events with multiple organ failure are possible. This article is a case report of lupus-related critical acute pancreatitis, and a literature review.

Mujer de 32 años con lupus eritematoso sistémico acude a consulta externa de reumatología por dolor abdominal de una semana de evolución, además de fiebre, artralgias, mialgias, alopecia, astenia y disnea de esfuerzo de 2 meses de evolución. También presentó hipotensión y taquicardia, por lo que requirió ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Le diagnosticaron pancreatitis aguda relacionada con el lupus, que es una complicación inusual que ocurre en menos del 1% de los pacientes. La mayoría de los casos son leves y autolimitados, sin embargo, es posible que se presenten eventos graves y potencialmente mortales, con disfunción multiorgánica. Este artículo es un reporte de caso de una pancreatitis aguda crítica relacionada con lupus y una revisión de la literatura.

Acute pancreatitis and COVID-19: an integrative review of the literature.

The first cases of the COVID-19 disease were identified in late 2019 in China, but it didnt take long for it to become pandemic. At first, it was believed that it was restricted to respiratory symptoms only, until extrapulmonary manifestations were reported worldwide. Acute pancreatitis concomitant with the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been observed in some patients, in the absence of the most common etiologies described in the literature. It is postulated that the presence of the ECA-2 viral receptor in the pancreas is responsible for the direct cellular damage and that the hyperinflammatory state of COVID-19 favors the development of pancreatitis through an immune-mediated mechanism. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 disease as a probable causality factor. An integrative literature review was carried out, including studies published between January 2020 and December 2022 that brought data on patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis according to the revised Atlanta Classification with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the same period. A total of thirty studies were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging aspects were analyzed and discussed. It is believed that SARS-CoV-2 was responsible for the development of acute pancreatitis in these patients, due to the absence of other precipitating risk factors, as well as the close temporal relationship between both. Attention should be given to gastrointestinal manifestations in patients affected by COVID-19.

Early prediction of acute respiratory distress syndrome complicated by acute pancreatitis based on four machine learning models.

BACKGROUND: Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common complication of Acute Pancreatitis (AP) and is associated with high mortality. This study used Machine Learning (ML) to predict ARDS in patients with AP at admission. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed the data from patients with AP from January 2017 to August 2022. Clinical and laboratory parameters with significant differences between patients with and without ARDS were screened by univariate analysis. Then, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Ensembles of Decision Trees (EDTs), Bayesian Classifier (BC), and nomogram models were constructed and optimized after feature screening based on these parameters. Five-fold cross-validation was used to train each model. A test set was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the four models. RESULTS: A total of 83 (18.04%) of 460 patients with AP developed ARDS. Thirty-one features with significant differences between the groups with and without ARDS in the training set were used for modeling. The Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PaO2), C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, lactic acid, Ca2+, the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio, white blood cell count, and amylase were identified as the optimal subset of features. The BC algorithm had the best predictive performance with the highest AUC value (0.891) than SVM (0.870), EDTs (0.813), and the nomogram (0.874) in the test set. The EDT algorithm achieved the highest accuracy (0.891), precision (0.800), and F1 score (0.615), but the lowest FDR (0.200) and the second-highest NPV (0.902). CONCLUSIONS: A predictive model of ARDS complicated by AP was successfully developed based on ML. Predictive performance was evaluated by a test set, for which BC showed superior predictive performance and EDTs could be a more promising prediction tool for larger samples.

Endoscopic Biliary Darinage (EBD) versus Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) for biliary drainage in patients with Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Biliary drainage for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA) can be performed either by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD). To date there is no consensus about which method is preferred. Taking that into account, the aim of this study is to compare Endoscopic Biliary Drainage (EBD) versus percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma through a systematic review and metanalysis. A comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases was performed. Evaluated outcomes included technical success, clinical success, post drainage complications (cholangitis, pancreatitis, bleeding, and major complications), crossover, hospital length stay, and seeding metastases. Data extracted from the studies were used to calculate Mean Differences (MD). Seventeen studies were included, with a total of 2284 patients (EBD = 1239, PTBD = 1045). Considering resectable PCCA, the PTBD group demonstrated lower rates of crossover (RD = 0.29; 95% CI 0.07‒0.51; p = 0.009 I² = 90%), post-drainage complications (RD = 0.20; 95% CI 0.06‒0.33; p < 0.0001; I² = 78%), and post-drainage pancreatitis (RD = 0.10; 95% CI 0.05‒0.16; p < 0.0001; I² = 64%). The EBD group presented reduced length of hospital stay (RD = -2.89; 95% CI -3.35 ‒ -2,43; p < 0.00001; I² = 42%). Considering palliative PCCA, the PTBD group demonstrated a higher clinical success (RD = -0.19; 95% CI -0.27 ‒ -0.11; p < 0.00001; I² = 0%) and less post-drainage cholangitis (RD = 0.08; 95% CI 0.01‒0.15; p = 0.02; I² = 48%) when compared to the EBD group. There was no statistical difference between the groups regarding: technical success, post-drainage bleeding, major post-drainage complications, and seeding metastases.

Microangiopatía trombótica como complicación de una pancreatitis aguda / Thrombotic microangiopathy as a complication of acute pancreatitis / Microangiopatia trombótica como complicação da pancreatite aguda

La púrpura trombótica trombocitopénica (PTT) es una microangiopatía trombótica poco frecuente, que se caracteriza por anemia hemolítica y plaquetopenia, con una elevada morbimortalidad. Su forma más frecuente es la PTT inmune, también denominada adquirida, provocada por la deficiencia de la enzima disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif 13 (ADAMTS13) secundaria a la presencia en plasma de autoanticuerpos. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con diagnóstico de pancreatitis aguda (PA) complicada con PTT, asociación de presentación excepcional en la práctica clínica.

Summary: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is rather an unusual thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by hemolytic anemia and plateletopenia which results in high morbimortality rates. The most frequent form of this disease is immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, also known as acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, which is caused by enzime deficiency disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif 13 (ADAMTS13) that is secondary to antibodies in plasma. The study presents the case of a patient with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis with a rare complication of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura which is exceptional in the clinical practice.

A púrpura trombocitopênica trombótica (PTT) é uma microangiopatia trombótica rara, caracterizada por anemia hemolítica e trombocitopenia, com alta morbimortalidade. Sua forma mais comum é a TTP imune, também conhecida como adquirida, que é causada pela deficiência da enzima ADAMTS13 (em inglês A disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif no. 13) secundária à presença de autoanticorpos no plasma. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente com diagnóstico de pancreatite aguda (PA) complicada por PTT, associação com apresentação excepcional na prática clínica.

CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH GALLSTONES IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL.

BACKGROUND: Gallstones are the presence of bile clay in the gallbladder or bile ducts. The disease can be asymptomatic or symptomatic and can lead to complications and consequently a worse prognosis, such as acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, and acute pancreatitis. The risk of complications increases after the first episode of biliary colic. OBJECTIVE: A clinical-epidemiological evaluation of patients admitted to a gastroenterology ward of a tertiary care hospital with gallstone-related complications. METHODS: We evaluated 158 patients admitted through discharge reports and medical records analysis from January 1, 2013, to February 24, 2021. RESULTS: The female sex was predominant (76.6%), and the mean age of patients was 51.6 years. Men were significantly older than women (P=0.005). Most (57.6%) had some comorbidity, the most frequent being systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. The mean hospitalization time was 24 days, significantly longer in men (P=0.046) but without a direct relationship with age (P=0.414). The most frequent complication was choledocholithiasis, and 55.7% of patients without previous cholecystectomy had a report of biliary colic before admission, on average 1.5 years previously. A history of a prior cholecystectomy was present in 17.1% of those evaluated. Abdominal ultrasonography followed by magnetic resonance cholangiography was the most frequently performed exam for diagnostic definition. Regarding therapeutic measures, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was necessary for 47.3% of patients without previous cholecystectomy and 81.4% of patients who have already had a cholecystectomy. Among patients not yet cholecystectomized, 84% underwent the procedure before discharge. CONCLUSION: The female patients were predominant. Men were significantly older than women and had more extended hospital stays. The most frequent complication was choledocholithiasis, and around half of the patients reported previous biliary colic. endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has been necessary for the majority of the patients.

Crisis hipercalcémica como causa de pancreatitis aguda / Hypercalcemia as a cause of acute pancreatitis. Report of one case

Severe hypercalcemia may cause acute pancreatitis. We report a 75-yearold male presenting with abdominal pain and confusion. The initial laboratory showed elevated amylase levels and a serum calcium of 19.0 mg/dl with highly elevated parathormone levels. An abdominal CT scan disclosed pancreatitis. A neck CT scan showed a parathyroid tumor, which was successfully excised. The pathology of the surgical piece showed a parathyroid adenoma.

Primer reporte nacional de técnica de puestow modificada para el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda recidivante en pediatría / First national report of modified puestow technique for the treatment of recurrent acute pancreatitis in pediatrics / Primeiro relatório nacional de técnica puestow modificada para o tratamento de pancreatite aguda recorrente em pediatria

Se comunica el primer reporte nacional del tratamiento de pancreatitis aguda recidivante mediante derivación Wirsung-yeyunal en pediatría. Se trata de un paciente con múltiples ingresos hospitalarios por episodios de pancreatitis, con complicaciones evolutivas de pseudoquistes pancreáticos, estenosis y litiasis del conducto de Wirsung. Se realiza derivación Wirsung-yeyunal por vía convencional con buena evolución posterior.

The first national report of the treatment of recurrent acute pancreatitis by means of Wirsung-jejunal diversion in pediatrics is communicated. This is a patient with multiple hospital admissions for episodes of pancreatitis, with evolutionary complications of pancreatic pseudocysts, stenosis, and Wirsung duct lithiasis. Wirsung-jejunal bypass was performed by conventional route with good subsequent evolution.

O primeiro relato nacional do tratamento de pancreatite aguda recorrente por derivação Wirsung-jejunal em pediatria é relatado. Trata-se de um paciente com múltiplas internações hospitalares por episódios de pancreatite, com complicações progressivas de pseudocistos pancreáticos, estenose e cálculos do ducto de Wirsung. A derivação Wirsung-jejunal foi realizada por via convencional com boa evolução posterior.

Intra-Abdominal Hypertension: A Systemic Complication of Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

Patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) present complications and organ failure, which require treatment in critical care units. These extrapancreatic complications determine the clinical outcome of the disease. Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) deteriorates the prognosis of SAP. In this paper, relevant recent literature was reviewed, as well as the authors' own experiences, concerning the clinical importance of IAH and its treatment in SAP. The principal observations confirmed that IAH is a frequent consequence of SAP but is practically absent in mild disease. Common manifestations of AP such as pain, abdominal distension, and paralytic ileus contribute to increased abdominal pressure, as well as fluid loss in third space and aggressive fluid replacement therapy. A severe increase in IAP can evolve to abdominal compartment syndrome and new onset organ failure. Conservative measures are useful, but invasive interventions are necessary in several cases. Percutaneous drainage of major collections is preferred when possible, but open decompressive laparotomy is the final possibility in some cases in order to definitively reduce abdominal pressure. Intra-abdominal pressure should be measured in all SAP cases that worsen despite adequate treatment in critical care units. Conservative measures must be introduced to treat IAH, including negative fluid balance, digestive decompression by gastric-rectal tube, and prokinetics, including neostigmine. In the case of insufficient responses to these measures, minimally invasive interventions should be preferred.

Giant pancreatic pseudocyst drainage by endoscopic cystogastrostomy: Case report / Drenaje de pseudoquiste pancreático gigante mediante cistogastrostomía endoscópica: reporte de caso

Abstract Introduction: The pancreatic pseudocyst is one of the late local complications of acute pancreatitis. For managing a giant pancreatic pseudocyst, there are multiple strategies. Aim: To present the case of a patient with a giant pancreatic pseudocyst managed by endoscopic cystogastrostomy. Clinical case: A 41-year-old woman developed a giant pancreatic pseudocyst as a complication of acute pancreatitis that was managed by endoscopic cystogastrostomy without endoscopic ultrasound guidance, with good evolution. Conclusions: Endoscopic cystogastrostomy, with or without the help of ultrasound endoscopy or lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS), is a viable, safe, effective, and economical therapeutic option for selected patients with a giant pancreatic pseudocyst.

Resumen Introducción: el pseudoquiste pancreático es una de las complicaciones locales tardías de la pancreatitis aguda. Para el manejo del pseudoquiste pancreático gigante existen múltiples estrategias. Objetivo: presentar el caso de una paciente con pseudoquiste pancreático gigante manejado mediante cistogastrostomía endoscópica. Caso clínico: mujer de 41 años que desarrolló un pseudoquiste pancreático gigante como complicación de una pancreatitis aguda y se manejó mediante cistogastrostomía endoscópica sin guía ecoendoscópica, con una adecuada evolución. Conclusiones: la cistogastrostomía endoscópica, con la ayuda o no de ecoendoscopia ni stent de aposición luminal (LAMS), es una opción terapéutica viable, segura, efectiva y económica para pacientes seleccionados con pseudoquiste pancreático gigante.

Severe hypertriglyceridemia secondary to splice-site and missense variants in LMF1 in three patients from Ecuador.

Rare pathogenic variants in the LMF1 gene, which encodes lipase maturation factor 1, are a minor cause of familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and severe hypertriglyceridemia. In this report we present three adult patients, all of them born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, with severe hypertriglyceridemia secondary to biallelic LMF1 variants. In two of the three cases (patients 1 and 3), the presentation was acute pancreatitis secondary to plasma triglycerides well above 10 mmol/L. The other case (patient 2) was a sibling of one of the initial patients, who was asymptomatic but markedly hypertriglyceridemic. Next-generation sequencing revealed a homozygous splice-site variant in exon 6 of LMF1 in patients 1 and 2 (c.897G>A, p.Gln299=), and a homozygous missense variant in exon 2 of LMF1 in patient 3 (c.233T>C, p.Leu78Pro). The finding of two disease-causing variants in three patients from the same location raises the question of whether LMF1 may be a more prevalent cause of severe hypertriglyceridemia among Latin-American patients.

[Hypercalcemia as a cause of acute pancreatitis. Report of one case]. / Crisis hipercalcémica como causa de pancreatitis aguda.

Severe hypercalcemia may cause acute pancreatitis. We report a 75-yearold male presenting with abdominal pain and confusion. The initial laboratory showed elevated amylase levels and a serum calcium of 19.0 mg/dl with highly elevated parathormone levels. An abdominal CT scan disclosed pancreatitis. A neck CT scan showed a parathyroid tumor, which was successfully excised. The pathology of the surgical piece showed a parathyroid adenoma.