Pancreatitis in patients with Reye's syndrome

Three patients who died of a Reye's syndrome had biochemical or pathological evidence of pancreatitis. None of the 38 survivors had clinical or biochemical evidence of pancreatic dysfunction. The use of hypertonic glucose solutions and exogenous insulin may reverse the metabolic abnormalities seen in Reye's syndrome and may spare the pancreas, thereby preventing the development of pancreatitis. In addition, serum calcium and glucose concentrations appear to correlate with pancreatic function and may be of value in detecting the occurrence of pancreatitis. It is our impression that the development of pancreatitis protends a poor prognosis in patients with Reye's syndrome.