Focal IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis with distal choledochal adenocarcinoma: a rare case report

Background Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a rare disease that manifests as pancreatic involvement in systemic IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), a special type of chronic pancreatitis caused by autoimmune abnormalities. The main imaging manifestations of IgG4-related AIP consist of diffuse or localized pancreatic enlargement and irregular pancreatic duct narrowing. The diagnosis of AIP is challenging because it can present with focal lesions, similar to radiologically bile duct cancer or pancreatic cancer. Case presentation A 55-year-old male patient was admitted with painless jaundice and multiple radiographic findings of pancreatic head mass, as well as intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct dilatation. Various imaging methods indicated pancreatic cancer. However, the endoscopic ultrasonography guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and a laparoscopic pancreatic biopsy suggested an IgG4-related AIP. After one month, magnetic resonance imaging showed that the lesion had slightly grown. Combined with CA19-9 and other indexes, the possibility of malignancy was high and there were still surgical indications. The pathological analysis following a pancreaticoduodenectomy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the distal common bile duct. Conclusion To date, few reports have described pancreatic or extrapancreatic malignancies in AIP patients, and no association between AIP and bile duct adenocarcinoma has been previously confirmed. This case discuss the differentiation between AIP and malignancy, recent research progress, and the correlation between the two diseases, highlights the importance of carefully evaluating patients with AIP to rule out potential tumors, as well as the critical need for follow up treatment.

Acute pancreatitis in a COVID-19 patient in Brazil: a case report

Background The consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic have already exceeded 10 million infected and more than 560,000 deaths worldwide since its inception. Currently, it is known that the disease affects mainly the respiratory system; however, recent studies have shown an increase in the number of patients with manifestations in other systems, including gastrointestinal manifestations. There is a lack of literature regarding the development of acute pancreatitis as a complication of coronavirus disease 2019. Case report We report a case of acute pancreatitis in a white male patient with coronavirus disease 2019. A 35-year-old man (body mass index 31.5) had acute epigastric pain radiating to his back, dyspnea, nausea, and vomiting for 2 days. The patient was diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis (AP)-APACHE II: 5, SOFA: 3, Marshall: 0; then he was transferred from ED to the semi-intensive care unit. He tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and his chest computed tomography findings were compatible with coronavirus disease 2019. Treatment was based on bowel rest, fluid resuscitation, analgesia, and empiric antibiotic therapy. At day 12, with resolution of abdominal pain and improvement of the respiratory condition, the patient was discharged. Conclusion Since there is still limited evidence of pancreatic involvement in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, no definite conclusion can be made. Given the lack of other etiology, we consider the possibility that the patient’s acute pancreatitis could be secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 infection, and we suggest investigation of pancreas-specific plasma amylase in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and abdominal pain.

Pancreatic Injury and Coronavirus Disease-2019

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 can induce dysfunction in a couple of organs, including kidney, heart, liver, gut, and pancreas. Pancreatic injury is an inflammatory situation of the exocrine pancreas, precipitated mostly by gallstones and alcohol intake. We found the fact that lack of research about the influence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in pancreatic injury. METHODS: A literature searching was conducted through the PubMed, Science Direct, Medline, and Google Scholar searching engines using the following keywords: (“severe acute respiratory tract syndrome-coronavirus 2019” OR “COVID-19” OR “coronavirus 2019” OR “SARS-CoV-2”) AND (“pancreas” OR “pancreatitis” OR “hyperamylasemia” OR “pancreatic injury” OR “pancreatic damage” OR “pancreatic disturbance”). All articles and abstracts in English from literature review, case report, original article, systematic review, and meta-analysis were involved. RESULTS: A total of 17 literatures were gathered. Through the studies, we found that several pathways may damage pancreas in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, either due to direct virus-mediated damage of the exocrine pancreas via the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptors, the severe COVID-19 contamination which can lead to systemic inflammation and pancreatic injury, or the virus-mediated injury to the islet cells. The prevalence of pancreatitis in patients with COVID-19 was low. Elevated pancreatic enzyme level was one of the sign of pancreatic involvement. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic injury may occur in patients with severe COVID-19 due to several pathways. Assessment of pancreatitis severity may aid in managing pancreatitis in this particular population.

Acute pancreatitis associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection: a case report and review of the literature

Introduction We report a case of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection with acute pancreatitis as the only presenting symptom. To the best of our knowledge, there are few case reports of the same presentation. Case presentation An otherwise healthy 44-year-old white male from Egypt presented to the hospital with severe epigastric pain and over ten attacks of nonprojectile vomiting (first, gastric content, then bilious). Acute pancreatitis was suspected and confirmed by serum amylase, serum lipase, and computed tomography scan that showed mild diffuse enlargement of the pancreas. The patient did not have any risk factor for acute pancreatitis, and extensive investigations did not reveal a clear etiology. Given a potential occupational exposure, a nasopharyngeal swab for polymerase chain reaction testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was done, which was positive despite the absence of the typical symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 such as fever and respiratory symptoms. The patient was managed conservatively. For pancreatitis, he was kept nil per os for 2 days and received intravenous lactated Ringer’s (10 ml per kg per hour), nalbuphine, alpha chymotrypsin, omeprazole, and cyclizine lactate. For severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, he received a 5-day course of intravenous azithromycin (500 mg per day). He improved quickly and was discharged by the fifth day. We know that abdominal pain is not a rare symptom of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and we also know that elevated levels of serum amylase and lipase were reported in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 patients, especially those with severe symptoms. However, the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection and idiopathic acute pancreatitis is rare and has been reported only a few times. Conclusion We believe further studies should be conducted to determine the extent of pancreatic involvement in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 patients and the possible causality between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and acute pancreatitis. We reviewed the literature regarding the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and acute pancreatitis patients. Published data suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 possibly could be a risk factor for acute pancreatitis.

Disseminated Extramedullary Plasmacytoma with Unusual Cardiac and Pancreatic Involvement—Literature Review and Rare Case Report

Disseminated extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is an unusual entity that has nonspecific imaging features at MRI. Nevertheless, knowledge of its imaging features and unusual locations might help radiologists to suspect it in the appropriate clinical scenario. Some noncontiguous EMPs might mimic lymphoma and MRI would be useful as a problem-solving tool in EMP and would help in treatment planning. We report an unusual cardiac mass in cardiac MRI, a detailed work-up of which led to the diagnosis of multifocal EMP involving the heart, ribs, pancreas, retroperitoneum, and soft tissues of the thigh, rarely reported in the literature.

Pancreatic Disorders in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition and mainly affects the intestines, however, the involvement of the other organs of the gastrointestinal tract (upper part, pancreas, and liver) have been observed. The coexistence of IBD with pancreatic pathology is rare, however, it has been diagnosed more frequently during recent years in the pediatric population. This article reviews the current literature on the most common pancreatic diseases associated with IBD in the pediatric population and their relationship with IBD activity and treatment. Materials and Methods: We performed a systematic review of data from published studies on pancreatic disorders, also reported as extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs), among children with IBD. We searched PubMed and Web of Science to identify eligible studies published prior to 25 April 2020. Results: Forty-four papers were chosen for analysis after a detailed inspection, which aimed to keep only the research studies (case control studies and cohort studies) or case reports on children and only those which were written in English. The manifestations of IBD-associated pancreatic disorders range from asymptomatic increase in pancreatic enzymes activity to severe disease such as acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis (AP) induced by drugs, mainly thiopurine, seems to be the most- often-reported pancreatic disease associated with IBD in children. AP associated with other than drug etiologies, and chronic pancreatitis (CP), are rarely observed in the course of pediatric IBD. The pancreatic involvement can be strictly related to the activity of IBD and can also precede the diagnosis of IBD in some pediatric patients. The course of AP is mild in most cases and may occasionally lead to the development of CP, mainly in cases with a genetic predisposition. Conclusions: The involvement of the pancreas in the course of IBD may be considered as an EIM or a separate co-morbid disease, but it can also be a side effect of IBD therapy, therefore a differential diagnosis should always be performed. As the number of IBD incidences with concomitant pancreatic diseases is constantly increasing in the pediatric population, it is important to include pancreatic enzymes level measurement in the workup of IBD.