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. 2008 Jun 24:2:215.
doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-2-215.

Pancreatitis with an unusual fatal complication following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography: a case report

Boris Kanen  1 , Ruud J L F Loffeld
Affiliations

Pancreatitis with an unusual fatal complication following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography: a case report

Boris Kanen et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography has been the treatment of choice for stones in the common bile duct. Although the procedure is usually safe, procedure-related complications do occur.

Case presentation: A case of pancreatitis following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography is described in a 55-year-old woman. After an uneventful recovery the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly 16 days after the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography, and the patient died within 1 hour. Post-mortem examination revealed massive intrapulmonary fat embolism. The complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography and pancreatitis are described.

Conclusion: Fat embolism can occur after the remission of pancreatitis and pancreatic necrosis may be overlooked on contrast-enhanced computed tomography scanning.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Haematoxylin and eosin stain of a section of the lungs showing a blood vessel with fibrinoid material and an optical empty space indicative of the presence of lipid dissolved during the staining process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The phenomenon shown in Figure 1 at a higher magnification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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