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Acute pancreatitis during sickle cell vaso‐occlusive painful crisis
Author(s) -
Ahmed Shahid,
Siddiqui Anita K.,
Siddiqui Rina K.,
Kimpo Miriam,
Russo Linda,
Mattana Joseph
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.10344
Subject(s) - medicine , abdominal pain , pancreatitis , acute pancreatitis , sickle cell anemia , disease , occlusion , gastroenterology , ischemia , surgery
Sickle cell disease is characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia and vaso‐occlusive painful crisis. The vascular occlusion in sickle cell disease is a complex process and accounts for the majority of the clinical manifestations of the disease. Abdominal pain is an important component of vaso‐occlusive painful crisis and may mimic diseases such as acute appendicitis and cholecystitis. Acute pancreatitis is rarely included as a cause of abdominal pain in patients with sickle cell disease. When it occurs it may result form biliary obstruction, but in other instances it might be a consequence of microvessel occlusion causing ischemia. In this series we describe four cases of acute pancreatitis in patients with sickle cell disease apparently due to microvascular occlusion and ischemic injury to the pancreas. All patients responded to conservative management. Acute pancreatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in patients with sickle cell disease. Am. J. Hematol. 73:190–193, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.