Death caused by undiagnosed acute pancreatitis

A fatal case of acute pancreatitis is reported. On account of difficulty in eating caused by persistent dysphagia and heartburn, the clinical condition of a 39-year-old man who had been a heavy drinker deteriorated rapidly. He was taken to a hospital in an ambulance in an unconscious state. Based on the endoscopic examination and blood chemistry data, the diagnosis of hemorrhagic esophagitis and hepatic failure was made. Treatment including fluid infusion was unsuccessful and he died on the second hospital day. Based on a strong suspicion that the pathologic change in the esophagus may have been chemical esophagitis caused by corrosives of some type, the police ordered an administrative autopsy. The postmortem examination revealed marked necrosis in the pancreas and in the abdominal fatty tissue including the omentum and the mesentery. The necrotic areas in the pancreas were accompanied by only a slight degree of hemorrhage. The cause of death was diagnosed as acute pancreatitis. The pathologic change in the esophagus was identified as Candida esophagitis. Alcohol abuse and malnutrition caused by esophagitis were both considered to be factors which lead to the acute fatal pancreatitis.