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Acute deterioration of a woman following acute pancreatitis with pseudocysts

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 2, pages 545–549 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Background A 49-year-old white female with a history of acute pancreatitis that was complicated by pseudocysts presented with severe acute-onset abdominal pain of a few hours duration with associated vomiting. Physical examination showed a soft abdomen with mild diffuse tenderness and positive bowel sounds. Initial blood work revealed a drop in her hematocrit, and elevated but stable amylase and lipase levels. A CT scan of the abdomen revealed a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm with extravasation of contrast medium into an adjacent pseudocyst.

Investigations Physical examination, blood analysis and a CT scan of the abdomen with contrast medium.

Diagnosis Splenic artery pseudoaneurysm bleeding into an adjacent pseudocyst.

Management Embolization of the splenic artery across the neck of the pseudoaneurysm.

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Figure 1: CT scan of the abdomen of a 49-year-old woman performed during her second attack of pancreatitis.
Figure 2: CT scan of the abdomen of a 49-year-old woman when she presented with severe acute-onset abdominal pain.
Figure 3: Embolization of the splenic artery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Resident in Internal Medicine,

    Elie Aoun, Georgios I Papachristou, David Whitcomb, Iftikhar Ahmad & Adam Slivka

  2. third-year Fellow,

    Elie Aoun, Georgios I Papachristou, David Whitcomb, Iftikhar Ahmad & Adam Slivka

  3. Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Human Genetics,

    Elie Aoun, Georgios I Papachristou, David Whitcomb, Iftikhar Ahmad & Adam Slivka

  4. Professor of Radiology,

    Elie Aoun, Georgios I Papachristou, David Whitcomb, Iftikhar Ahmad & Adam Slivka

  5. Associate Professor of Medicine, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 15213, PA, USA

    Elie Aoun, Georgios I Papachristou, David Whitcomb, Iftikhar Ahmad & Adam Slivka

Authors
  1. Elie Aoun
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  2. Georgios I Papachristou
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  3. David Whitcomb
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  4. Iftikhar Ahmad
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  5. Adam Slivka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam Slivka.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Aoun, E., Papachristou, G., Whitcomb, D. et al. Acute deterioration of a woman following acute pancreatitis with pseudocysts. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2, 545–549 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep0317

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep0317

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