Colonic complications of acute pancreatitis

H. Abcarian, M. Eftaiha, A. R. Kraft and L. M. Nyhus

Colonic complications of acute pancreatitis include "pseudo-obstruction," necrosis, hemorrhage, fistula, and ischemic colitis. With the ten cases reported in this article, there are now 75 cases reported in the literature to our knowledge. The fulminating lesions (necrosis and hemorrhage) are usually associated with pancreatic abscess and/or pseudocyst and may occur because of a direct pressure effect with secondary vascular compromise. The lesions are predominant in the transverse colon and at the splenic flexure. Because the risk factor for a colonic complication from pancreatitis is highest in those patients with inflammatory masses in the body and tail of the gland due to colon contiguity, such masses require individualized treatment, including frequent clinical examination with sequential ultrasonography, and probably early surgical intervention.