Short Commentary - Volume 1 Issue 1
A fairly diffuse and extensive pancreatic calcification
Eltaib Saad*; Paritosh Prasai
Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Francis Presence Hospital, Evanston, IL, USA.
Received Date : Oct 12, 2021
Accepted Date : Nov 10, 2021
Published Date: Nov 17, 2021
Copyright :© Eltaib Saad 2021.
*Corresponding Author : Eltiab Saad, Department of Internal Medicine,
Saint Francis Presence Hospital, Evanston, IL, USA.
Email: Eltaib.Saad@amitahealth.org
A 37-year-old male presented with worsening epigastric pain and nausea for one-week. Past medical history was significant of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and gallbladder stones disease status post-cholecystectomy seven years ago. Physical examination revealed focal epigastric tenderness. A contrastbased computed topography (CT) scan revealed a fairly diffuse and extensive calcification of the pancreatic head, neck, and body, the findings were consistent with an alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Contrast-based CT abdomen demonstrating a fairly diffuse and extensive calcification of the pancreas consistent with chronic pancreatitis.
The patient was managed conservatively with adequate hydration and pain control, and he achieved an eventful recovery. Pancreatic calcification is the most specific radiological finding in chronic pancreatitis with a prevalence of 4% [1]. It is more frequently observed in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis [1]. Differential diagnosis of calcific pancreas, however, includes cystic neoplasms and a range of non-pancreatic conditions that mimic pancreatic calcifications, such as calcific stones in distal choledocholithiasis, retained contrast within a periampullary diverticulum, and peripancreatic vascular lesions as calcified splenic vein thrombi [2].
References
- Yadav D, Timmons L, Benson JT, Dierkhising RA, Chari ST. Incidence, prevalence, and survival of chronic pancreatitis: a population-based study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2011 Dec 1; 106(12):2192-9.
- Lesniak RJ, Hohenwalter MD, Taylor AJ. Spectrum of causes of pancreatic calcifications. Am. J. Roentgenol. 2002 Jan; 178(1):79-86.
