1996 Volume 48 Issue 6 Pages 611-615
We experienced a case of acute pancreatitis the onset of which was in 30 week of pregnancy. The patient was a 31 year-old multipara. She suddenly complained of nausea, vomiting and epigastralgia in 30 week of pregnancy, and exigently entered the hospital. As a result of blood examination, she was found to have hyperlipidemia and a high amylase value. Performance of CT scans revealed a swollen and heterogenous pancreas and massive amounts of ascites. Based on these pathognomonic findings, the case was diagnosed as severe acute pancreatitis. The systemic symptoms did not ameliorate in spite of a 12-hour conservative therapy, including the administration of an antienzyme and massive amount of intravenous fluids. The patient was, therefore, subjected to emergency cesarean section, cholecystectomy and abdominal cavity irrigation and drainage. After the operations, the patient gradually recovered. With a diagnosis of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome, the neonate was given a surfactant, and progressed favorably. It is recommended that diagnosis of acute pancreatitis during pregnancy should be made without delay using ultrasonography and CT scans, and that consideration should be given in severe cases to an invasive therapy including termination of pregnancy. [Adv Obstet Gynecol 48 (6): 611-615, 1996 (H8.11)]
