Prediction of pancreatic necrosis by dynamic pancreatography

Parenchymal necrosis has recently been recognized as the principal determinant of the incidence of secondary infection in acute pancreatitis. Because secondary infection of pancreatic necrosis accounts for more than 80% of all deaths from acute pancreatitis, a method for determining the presence or absence of parenchymal necrosis would offer considerable prognostic and therapeutic information. Thirty seven patients with unequivocal acute pancreatitis and five normal controls were prospectively studied with intravenous bolus, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (dynamic pancreatography). In the absence of pancreatic necrosis, there were no significant differences in parenchymal enhancement between any of the following patient groups: controls (5), uncomplicated pancreatitis (20), pancreatic abscess (7), or peripancreatic necrosis (4)(p less than 0.05). On the other hand, pancreatic parenchymal enhancement was significantly reduced or absent in all six patients with segmental or diffuse pancreatic necrosis (p less than 0.05). Postcontrast pancreatic parenchymal enhancement was also found to be inversely correlated with the number of Ranson signs (p less than 0.001). Dynamic pancreatography offers prognostic information and is a safe and reliable technique for predicting the presence or absence of pancreatic parenchymal necrosis.