Abstract
Acute pancreatitis is a challenging illness characterized by abdominal pain and elevated pancreatic enzymes. In the majority of cases, acute pancreatitis is mild and resolves with conservative therapy. In 10%–20% of cases, the disease is severe and may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, usually due to multi-system organ failure or complications from infected necrosis. The challenge for clinicians is to determine quickly and accurately which patients are most likely to develop severe disease and require intensive care. In this chapter, we will briefly discuss the clinical features of acute pancreatitis, methods of assessing severity and use of imaging in patient care.
Keywords
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Severe Acute Pancreatitis
- Common Bile Duct Stone
- Pancreatic Necrosis
- Necrotizing Pancreatitis
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Kwon, R.S., Mortele, K.J., Banks, P.A. (2009). Clinical Aspects of Acute Pancreatitis: Features, Prognosis and Use of Imaging Findings in Therapeutic Decision Making. In: Balthazar, E.J., Megibow, A.J., Pozzi Mucelli, R. (eds) Imaging of the Pancreas. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68251-6_2
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