Pleural effusions in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis ranks third among the inflammatory diseases causing acute abdomen; it accounts for about 2% of all cases of acute surgical abdomen. The clinical course of the disease is characterised by a number of local and systemic complications, the most frequent being respiratory disorders.

METHODS

In the present study we review our experience with the management of acute pancreatitis in 75 patients complicated by pleural effusions in some of them. The patients were allocated into two groups depending on the severity of the disease: group I included patients with mild pancreatitis and group II--with severe acute pancreatitis.

RESULTS

Pleural effusions were found in 4.7% of the patients in group I and in 24.2% in group II. They were given conservative treatment; it included puncture in three patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Pleural effusions, which are indicators of poor prognosis, are observed most often in severe acute pancreatitis.