Association of multiple splanchnic venous thrombosis and left renal venous thrombosis, a rare complication of pancreatitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Vascular complications of acute pancreatitis are common. Splanchnic thrombosis accounts for 11% of these complications, whereas extrasplanchnic thrombosis remains a rare entity. These complications are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is established on the basis of clinical and radiological evaluation, especially computed tomography. Renal vein thrombosis has been reported previously, but only in association with thrombosis of the inferior vena cava. To our knowledge, renal vein thrombosis without inferior vena cava thrombosis has never been reported in the literature. We report a case of a woman who developed acute pancreatitis complicated with splanchnic thrombosis and renal vein thrombosis with a patent inferior vena cava.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old Moroccan woman with no significant past medical history presented to our emergency department with worsening epigastric pain and vomiting. Her physical examination was notable only for moderate epigastric tenderness. She was apyrexic and had no jaundice or any features of liver failure. An initial computed tomographic scan showed Balthazar grade C pancreatitis with multiple splanchnic thromboses involving the portal vein, superior mesenteric vein, and left renal vein and enteromesenteric venous infarct with no signs of bowel perforation. The inferior vena cava was patent. Therapeutic anticoagulation and analgesia were started with resumption of enteral feeding 72 h later. The result of a thrombophilia screen was negative. Two months later, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit with acute liver failure. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed worsening ischemic liver lesions and no signs of bowel perforation. Biochemical analysis showed acute hepatitis with hepatocellular insufficiency. The clinical evolution was unfavorable, and the patient died 48 h later.

CONCLUSIONS: Association of splanchnic and renal vein thrombosis without inferior vena cava thrombosis as a complication of acute pancreatitis has never been reported before. There are no specific aspects of management of this complication; therapeutic anticoagulation and symptomatic treatment are the main measures used owing to the lack of available organs for liver transplant. The prognosis depends on the consequences of splanchnic thrombosis and their complications.