[Pancreatic gas with no evidence of abscess. Report of 2 cases].

Intrapancreatic air has been considered a reliable sign of pancreatic abscess (PA), although it can also be associated with other pancreatic diseases. We report here the clinical outcome of two patients with acute pancreatitis with gas in the retrogastric region suggestive of an abscess. Both patients exhibited a good clinical course with no evidence of sepsis. They were treated with analgesics and one of them with antibiotics. Control CT scans showed disappearance of liquid collections and intrapancreatic gas. In one case an endoscopy disclosed a gastric ulcer with changes suggesting a pancreatic fistula. This report shows that intrapancreatic air may mimic PA in cases with acute pancreatitis without septic complications.