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Signs and symptoms of pancreatic pseudocyst include abdominal discomfort and indigestion.
Complication of pancreatic pseudocyst include infection, hemorrhage, obstruction and rupture. For obstruction, it can cause compression in the GI tract from the stomach to colon, compression in urinary system, biliary system, and arteriovenous system.
A pancreatic fistula is an abnormal communication between the pancreas and other organs due to leakage of pancreatic secretions from damaged pancreatic ducts. An "external" pancreatic fistula is one that communicates with the skin, and is also known as a pancreaticocutaneous fistula, whereas an internal pancreatic fistula communicates with other internal organs or spaces. Pancreatic fistulas can be caused by pancreatic disease, trauma, or surgery.
An external pancreatic fistula is an abnormal communication between the pancreas (actually pancreatic duct) and the exterior of the body via the abdominal wall.
Loss of bicarbonate-rich pancreatic fluid via a pancreatic fistula can result in a hyperchloraemic or normal anion gap metabolic acidosis. Loss of a small volume of fluid will not cause a problem but an acidosis is common if the volume of pancreatic fluid lost from the body is large.
Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare entity, and estimates of its rate are based on small case series. It is the least frequent cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (1/1500) and is most often caused by chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic pseudocysts, or pancreatic tumors. As a result, the diagnosis may easily be overlooked. The usual presentation of hemosuccus is the development of symptoms of upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding, such as melena (or dark, black tarry stools), maroon stools, or hematochezia, which is frank rectal bleeding. The source of hemorrhage is usually not determined by standard endoscopic techniques, and the symptoms of the condition are usually grouped as a cause of obscure overt gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Over one-half of patients with hemosuccus also develop abdominal pain, usually located in the epigastrium, or uppermost part of the abdomen. The pain is described as being "crescendo-decrescendo" in nature, meaning that it increases and decreases in intensity slowly with time. This is thought to be due to transient blockage of the pancreatic duct from the source of bleeding, or from clots. If the source of the bleeding also involves obstruction of the common bile duct (such as with some tumours of the head of the pancreas), the patient may develop jaundice, or "silver stools", an uncommon finding of acholic stools mixed with blood.
X-ray computed tomography (CT scan) findings of cysts in the pancreas are common, and often are benign. In a study of 2,832 patients without pancreatic disease, 73 patients (2.6%) had cysts in the pancreas. About 85% of these patients had a single cyst. Cysts ranged in size from 2 to 38 mm (mean, 8.9 mm). There was a strong correlation between the presence of cysts and age. No cysts were identified among patients less than 40 years of age, while 8.7 percent of the patients aged 80 to 89 years had a pancreatic cyst.
Cysts also may be present due to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.
Hemosuccus pancreaticus, also known as pseudohematobilia or Wirsungorrhage is a rare cause of hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract. It is caused by a bleeding source in the pancreas, pancreatic duct, or structures adjacent to the pancreas, such as the splenic artery, that bleed into the pancreatic duct, which is connected with the bowel at the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. Patients with hemosuccus may develop symptoms of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, such as blood in the stools, maroon stools, or melena, which is a dark, tarry stool caused by digestion of red blood cells. They may also develop abdominal pain. It is associated with pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and aneurysms of the splenic artery. Hemosuccus may be identified with endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy), where fresh blood may be seen from the pancreatic duct. Alternatively, angiography may be used to inject the celiac axis to determine the blood vessel that is bleeding. This may also be used to treat hemosuccus, as embolization of the end vessel may terminate the hemorrhage. However, a distal pancreatectomy—surgery to removal of the tail of the pancreas—may be required to stop the hemorrhage.
Pancreas divisum is a malformation in which the pancreas fails to fuse. It is a rare condition that affects only 6% of the world's population, and of these few, only 1% ever have symptoms that require surgery.
Patients with pancreatic abscesses may experience abdominal pain, chills and fever or the inability to eat. Whereas some patients present an abdominal mass, others do not. Nausea and vomiting may also occur.
Inflammation of the diverticulum can mimic symptoms of appendicitis, i.e., periumbilical tenderness and intermittent crampy abdominal pain. Perforation of the inflamed diverticulum can result in peritonitis. Diverticulitis can also cause adhesions, leading to intestinal obstruction.
Diverticulitis may result from:
- Association with the mesodiverticular band attaching to the diverticulum tip where torsion has occurred, causing inflammation and ischaemia.
- Peptic ulceration resulting from ectopic gastric mucosa of the diverticulum
- Following perforation by trauma or ingested foreign material e.g. stalk of vegetable, seeds or fish/chicken bone that become lodged in Meckel's diverticulum.
- Luminal obstruction due to tumors, enterolith, foreign body, causing stasis or bacterial infection.
- Association with acute appendicitis
Early signs of abnormality include polyhydramnios (an excess of amniotic fluid), low birth weight, and feeding intolerance immediately after birth.
A pancreatic cyst is a fluid filled sac within the pancreas.
Causes range from benign to malignant. Pancreatic pseudocysts can occur in the setting of pancreatitis, though they are only reliably diagnosed 6 weeks after the episode of acute pancreatitis.
Benign tumors such as serous cystadenomas can occur. Main branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are associated with dilatation of the main pancreatic duct, while side branch IPMNs are typically benign, and not associated with dilatation. MRCP can help distinguish the position of the cysts relative to the pancreatic duct, and direct appropriate treatment and follow-up. The most common malignancy that can present as a pancreatic cyst is a mucinous cystic neoplasm.
Bleeding of the diverticulum is most common in young children, especially in males who are less than 2 years of age. Symptoms may include bright red blood in stools (hematochezia), weakness, abdominal tenderness or pain, and even anaemia in some cases.
Hemorrhage may be caused by:
- Ectopic gastric or pancreatic mucosa:
1. Where diverticulum contains embryonic remnants of mucosa of other tissue types.
2. Secretion of gastric acid or alkaline pancreatic juice from the ectopic mucosa leads to ulceration in the adjacent ileal mucosa i.e. peptic or pancreatic ulcer.
3. Pain, bleeding or perforation of the bowel at the diverticulum may result.
4. Mechanical stimulation may also cause erosion and ulceration.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding may be self-limiting but chronic bleeding may lead to iron deficiency anaemia.
The appearance of stools may indicate the nature of the haemorrhage:
- "Tarry stools": Alteration of blood produced by slow bowel transit due to minor bleeding in upper gastrointestinal tract
- "Bright red blood stools": Brisk haemorrhage
- "Stools with blood streak": Anal fissure
- ""Currant jelly" stools": Ischaemia of the intestine leads to copious mucus production and may indicate that one part of the bowel invaginates into another intussusception.
Annular pancreas is a rare condition in which the second part of the duodenum is surrounded by a ring of pancreatic tissue continuous with the head of the pancreas. This portion of the pancreas can constrict the duodenum and block or impair the flow of food to the rest of the intestines. It is estimated to occur in 1 out of 12,000 to 15,000 newborns. The ambiguity arises from the fact that not all cases are symptomatic.
Pancreaticobiliary maljunction is a congenital malformation, in which the pancreatic and bile ducts join anatomically outside the duodenal wall, forming a markedly long common channel. This anomaly prevents normal control by the sphincter of Oddi located in the duodenal wall, allowing regurgitation of pancreatic juices into the biliary tract and possibly leading to a higher probability of pancreaticobiliary cancers.
Papillary stenosis is a disturbance of the sphincter of Oddi, a muscular valve, that prevents the opening and release of bile or pancreatic fluids into the duodenum in response to food entering the duodenum.
Obstruction of the valve can cause:
- pancreatic pain
- jaundice - bile leaking back into the blood stream.
- attacks of pancreatitis
An unremoved infected abscess may lead to sepsis. Also, multiple abscesses may occur. Other complications may include fistula formation and recurrent pancreatitis.
Pancreas or Pancreatic divisum is a congenital anomaly in the anatomy of the ducts of the pancreas in which a single pancreatic duct is not formed, but rather remains as two distinct dorsal and ventral ducts.
Systemic complications include ARDS, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, DIC, hypocalcemia (from fat saponification), hyperglycemia and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (from pancreatic insulin-producing beta cell damage), malabsorption due to exocrine failure
- Metabolic
- Respiratory
- Renal
- Renal artery or vein thrombosis
- Renal failure
- Circulatory
- Arrhythmias
- Hypovolemia and shock
- myocardial infarct
- Pericardial effusion
- vascular thrombosis
- Gastrointestinal
- Gastrointestinal hemorrhage from stress ulceration;
- gastric varices (secondary to splenic vein thrombosis)
- Gastrointestinal obstruction
- Hepatobiliary
- Jaundice
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Neurologic
- Psychosis or encephalopathy (confusion, delusion and coma)
- Cerebral Embolism
- Blindness (angiopathic retinopathy with hemorrhage)
- Hematologic
- Anemia
- DIC
- Leucocytosis
- Dermatologic
- Painful subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Miscellaneous
- Subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Arthalgia
Signs and symptoms of DIOS include a sudden onset of crampy abdominal pain, vomiting, and a palpable mass (often in the right lower quadrant) in the abdomen. The characteristic abdominal pain is typically located in the center or right lower quadrant of the abdomen. X-rays of the abdomen may reveal stool in the colon and air-fluid levels in the small intestines.
Early complications include shock, infection, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, low blood calcium, high blood glucose, and dehydration. Blood loss, dehydration, and fluid leaking into the abdominal cavity (ascites) can lead to kidney failure. Respiratory complications are often severe. Pleural effusion is usually present. Shallow breathing from pain can lead to lung collapse. Pancreatic enzymes may attack the lungs, causing inflammation. Severe inflammation can lead to intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome, further impairing renal and respiratory function and potentially requiring management with an open abdomen to relieve the pressure.
Late complications include recurrent pancreatitis and the development of pancreatic pseudocysts—collections of pancreatic secretions that have been walled off by scar tissue. These may cause pain, become infected, rupture and bleed, block the bile duct and cause jaundice, or migrate around the abdomen. Acute necrotizing pancreatitis can lead to a pancreatic abscess, a collection of pus caused by necrosis, liquefaction, and infection. This happens in approximately 3% of cases, or almost 60% of cases involving more than two pseudocysts and gas in the pancreas.
The most common symptoms of pancreatitis are severe upper abdominal or left upper quadrant burning pain radiating to the back, nausea, and vomiting that is worse with eating. The physical examination will vary depending on severity and presence of internal bleeding. Blood pressure may be elevated by pain or decreased by dehydration or bleeding. Heart and respiratory rates are often elevated. The abdomen is usually tender but to a lesser degree than the pain itself. As is common in abdominal disease, bowel sounds may be reduced from reflex bowel paralysis. Fever or jaundice may be present. Chronic pancreatitis can lead to diabetes or pancreatic cancer. Unexplained weight loss may occur from a lack of pancreatic enzymes hindering digestion.
The most common symptoms and signs include:
- severe epigastric pain (upper abdominal pain) radiating to the back in 50% of cases
- nausea
- vomiting
- loss of appetite
- fever
- chills (shivering)
- hemodynamic instability, including shock
- tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
- respiratory distress
- peritonitis
- hiccup
Although these are common symptoms, they are not always present. Simple abdominal pain may be the sole symptom.
Signs that are less common, and indicate severe disease, include:
- Grey-Turner's sign (hemorrhagic discoloration of the flanks)
- Cullen's sign (hemorrhagic discoloration of the umbilicus)
- Pleural effusions (fluid in the bases of the pleural cavity)
- Grünwald sign (appearance of ecchymosis, large bruise, around the umbilicus due to local toxic lesion of the vessels)
- Körte's sign (pain or resistance in the zone where the head of pancreas is located (in epigastrium, 6–7 cm above the umbilicus))
- Kamenchik's sign (pain with pressure under the xiphoid process)
- Mayo-Robson's sign (pain while pressing at the top of the angle lateral to the Erector spinae muscles and below the left 12th rib (left costovertebral angle (CVA))
- Mayo-Robson's point – a point on border of inner 2/3 with the external 1/3 of the line that represents the bisection of the left upper abdominal quadrant, where tenderness on pressure exists in disease of the pancreas. At this point the tail of pancreas is projected on the abdominal wall.
- Pandiaraja's sign- ecchymosis of right axilla
A majority of individuals born with pancreas divisum will not have symptoms. In some cases, pancreas divisum is only detected during autopsy. A small group of individuals will develop symptoms which commonly include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and acute and chronic pancreatitis.
DIOS is sometimes classified by the degree of obstruction as incomplete or complete DIOS.