Mannivanan Ramasamy1, Vallepu Ramaiah Shiva Prasad2, Shankar Radhakrishnan3
BACKGROUND
In the earlier days, ultrasonogram was considered as one of the most important investigation for pancreatitis, later the clinicians started using cholangiography in acute pancreatitis, but today CT is considered as a gold standard test in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Though the sensitivity of CT in diagnosing acute pancreatitis was not studied much particularly in a mild case, but a good-quality contrast enhanced CT demonstrates distinct pancreatic and peri-pancreatic abnormalities.
AIM
To assess the importance of computed tomography in diagnosing acute pancreatitis and its related complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A prospective study was conducted on 150 patients with clinically suspected pancreatitis. CT was performed on all the patients with Siemens Spiral CT scanner Sensation 16 slice. Oral contrast of was 1000 mL given one hour prior to the scan in the form of taking 250 mL every 15 mins. The CT severity index (CTSI) and the necrosis point scoring was used to assess the severity of acute pancreatitis. All the complications related to acute pancreatitis were also assessed.
RESULTS
The CT analysis in the detection of acute pancreatitis showed the sensitivity of 100% and the positive predictive value of 97.3%. The severity index of acute pancreatitis based on the CT imaging had shown that majority of the patients are with moderate (60.6%) level of acute pancreatitis. The necrosis point scoring showed that 54.6% of the patients had necrosis involving less than 30% of the pancreas. Among the various complications detected by CECT the commonest were pleural effusion and ascites.
CONCLUSION
CECT is the most important gold standard technique both for diagnosis as well as for predicting the prognosis in acute pancreatitis. The clinicians should routinely send the patient for the CT imaging whenever there is a suspicion of pancreatitis clinically.
