Early infection of peripancreatic tissue in mild acute pancreatitis: report of a case

Abstract

Mild acute pancreatitis (AP) is rarely complicated by infection, and the value of prophylactic antibiotics is questionable. We report a case of mild AP complicated by infection, which developed within 1 week after the onset. A 66-year-old woman was referred to our hospital where a diagnosis of mild AP was made, based on laboratory data and computed tomography (CT) findings. She was managed conservatively with fluid resuscitation, intravenous antibiotics, and protease inhibitor. Her general condition improved initially, but a high fever redeveloped on hospital day 3. On hospital day 7, a repeat CT scan showed a peripancreatic fluid collection with gas, indicating peripancreatic abscess. A drainage operation was performed, and the organism cultured from the abscess was Escherichia coli. Her postoperative course was uneventful. We report this case to stress that infection may develop even in mild AP, and even in the early phase.