BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis (AP) is described as acute inflammation of the pancreas with or without peripancreatic abnormalities. The present study describes the role of computed tomography in the evaluation and grading of acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is a dynamic disease having biphasic mortality peaks due to two overlapping phases, which include early and late due to increased obesity, ageing of population, alcohol abuse, increased gall stone incidence, the worldwide AP incidence is increasing. Most important causes of AP in developing countries such as India include increased alcohol consumption. Contrast enhanced computed tomography plays an important role in diagnosis of the disease and helps in determining the prognosis of the disease. Modified CT severity index scoring system is the most commonly used scoring system for assessment of the severity of the disease. METHODS The present study is a prospective study of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of acute pancreatitis referred to the Department of Radio Diagnosis at Katuri medical college. This study comprised of 50 patients with clinical suspicion / diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, raised pancreatic biochemical parameters like serum amylase and serum lipase. Contrast enhanced computed tomography was performed in these patients, findings reported, and the disease was classified using modified CT scoring index system (MCTSI). RESULTS The mean age of the patients in the present study was 42.3 ± 12.28 years. Most of the patients presented with abdominal epigastric pain, abdominal distension. Acute pancreatitis was divided into acute oedematous pancreatitis and necrotising pancreatitis, the former being common. Complications included, ascites, pleural effusions, splenic vein thrombosis, portal venous thrombosis, and haemorrhages. CONCLUSIONS Contrast enhanced CT is useful to differentiate between oedematous and necrotising types of pancreatitis. The MCTSI helps in better evaluation of pancreatic necrosis grading. The modified computed tomography score index correlation with the development of local and systemic complications in acute pancreatitis is well established. Ideally, conducting contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) after 48 - 72 hours of acute attack, increases the probability of identifying necrotising pancreatitis. CT in particular has an overall accuracy of about 87 % and sensitivity and specificity of 100 % in the recognition of pancreatic necrosis. KEYWORDS Computed Tomography, Acute Pancreatitis, Pseudocyst, Modified CT Score Index
Contrast-enhanced computed tomography in acute pancreatitis: does contrast medium worsen its course due to impaired microcirculation?