[Colon necrosis as a complication of necrotizing pancreatitis]

Necrosis of the colon is a rare but often fatal complication of necrotizing pancreatitis. Among 159 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis who were treated between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 1988, a colonic lesion developed in 10 patients (6.3%). All 10 patients underwent surgery. With regard to the time of occurrence and the extent of the lesion two types could be distinguished: first, extensive, probably ischemic colonic necrosis developed early in the course of the disease, i.e., within the 1st week; second, localized lesions mainly in the region of the left colonic flexure occurred much later and were considered to be a complication related to persistent infection in the remaining pancreatic necroses. The colonic lesions were treated by resection and fecal diversion in 9 patients and by local excision with direct closure and additional diverting colostomy in one patient. Even though the colonic complications could be controlled, only 1 of the 10 patients survived. This can be explained by the fact that all these patients had a severe form of the disease with extensive pancreatic necroses and were in a septic-toxic state with multiple organ failure at the time the colonic lesion occurred.