Acute pancreatitis secondary to incarcerated paraesophageal hernia.

Paraesophageal hiatus hernia can be a morbid and even lethal condition. Although many complications from this entity have been described, they almost always involve gastric incarceration and its related complications. Occasionally, the transverse colon or spleen may be involved in the hernia, causing additional symptoms. An unusual case of paraesophageal hiatus hernia involving incarceration of the pylorus, proximal duodenum, and pancreatic head is described. The patient's presentation, operative management, and perioperative course are discussed to emphasize the importance of early elective repair of paraesophageal hiatus hernia before the development of such occurrences.