Left Pleural Effusion As A Sign of Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Abstract

Objective

To find out the frequency of left pleural effusion in acute necrotizing pancreatitis

 Study design

Case series

 Place & Duration of study

Surgical Unit 1, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi, from April 2017 to April 2020.

 Methodology

Patients diagnosed as acute pancreatitis, above 12 years of age of either gender with serum amylase more than 300U/dL were included. X-ray chest, CT scan, and other routine biochemical investigations were done. Diagnosis of necrotizing pancreatitis was made on CT scan findings. Frequency of left pleural effusion on x-ray chest and findings of necrotizing pancreatitis on CT scan were noted. Data was collected and analysed using SPSS version 25.

 Results

A total of 110 patients of acute pancreatitis were included. Eighty (72.27%) patients were female and 30 (27.27%) male. Seventy (63.63%) patients were diagnosed as having non-necrotizing pancreatitis and forty (36.36%) necrotizing pancreatitis. Thirty-nine patients (97.5%) of necrotizing pancreatitis had left pleural effusion on x-ray chest and two (2.85%) patients with non-necrotizing pancreatitis had similar findings.

 Conclusion

Patients of acute necrotizing pancreatitis are more likely to develop left pleural effusion which may be considered an additional sign of severity of disease.

 Key words

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis, Non-necrotizing pancreatitis, Pleural effusion