A Case of Acute Pancreatitis Following Computed-Tomography Scan

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is a common cause of hospitalization among gastrointestinal disorders and its frequency has been rising in the past few years. The majority of cases are due to alcohol use, gallstones and hypertriglyceridemia. However, there still remain a significant number of cases in which no causative factor can be found and therefore called idiopathic. Contrast-induced pancreatitis is a rare cause pancreatitis and there are only a few cases reported so far. Here we present a case of mild acute pancreatitis following iodinated contrast exposure. Case Presentation: A 42-year-old female patient with a history of lymphoma was admitted to our clinic with severe abdominal pain and nausea. Her blood tests revealed elevated pancreatic enzyme levels and mildly elevated liver function tests. Upper abdomen magnetic resonance imaging revealed pancreatic inflammation without any sign of necrosis. Since her complaints began after a computed-tomography scan that she had earlier that day for the evaluation of lymphoma and no other cause could be found, iodinated contrast was thought to be the cause of acute pancreatitis in this patient. Conclusion: Contrast agents seem to be a rare cause of acute pancreatitis, however taking the increasing availability of procedures involving radiocontrast agents into consideration, it is important to keep in mind that clinicians may come across more cases of contrast-induced acute pancreatitis in the future.

Keywords

• pancreatitis
• computed-tomography
• radiocontrast