[Pancreatic phlegmon: a potentially fatal form of acute pancreatitis]

To report the clinical characteristics of a group of patients with pancreatic phlegmon (PF) seen at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City.

We reviewed all the cases of acute pancreatitis hospitalized from January 1981 to December 1989. The diagnosis of pancreatic phlegmon was established when the CT scan showed a solid mass in the pancreas and peripancreatic region with more than 20 Hounsfield units without liquid collections or a fibrous capsule. We analyzed clinical, biochemical, and radiological data.

Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in 132 patients. In 14 a pancreatic phlegmon was observed (10.6%). Twelve were men; the mean age was 44.7 years. In six cases acute pancreatitis was secondary to alcohol abuse and in four to gallstones. Abdominal pain was present in all patients. Ten had leucocitosis and seven fever and/or jaundice. An abdominal mass was detected in three cases. The severity of pancreatitis was graded according to our institutional criteria as mild (0-2 signs) or severe (3-5 signs). In 10 patients AP was graded as mild: no mortality was observed in this group but three presented complications (two liquid collections and one an abscess). The four patients with severe pancreatitis presented complications and three died (one abscess, two multiorgan failure). Five patients were operated on. In three an abscess was drained.

Pancreatic phlegmon is a potentially severe form of AP. All patients who died presented, in addition to PF, clinical criteria of severe pancreatitis.