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Sonographic demonstration of a pancreatopleural fistula
Author(s) -
Kumar Atin,
Upreti Lalendra,
Bhargava Satish K.,
Gupta Shefali
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.10103
Subject(s) - medicine , pleural effusion , fistula , pancreatitis , radiology , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography , surgery , complication , effusion , abdominal pain , pleural disease , respiratory disease , lung
Abstract Pancreatopleural fistula is an uncommon complication of pancreatitis. The presence of a fistulous tract, although not mandatory for diagnosis of pancreatopleural fistula, has been documented previously with contrast‐enhanced radiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. We report the case of a pancreatopleural fistula with right pleural effusion demonstrated sonographically in a 13‐year‐old girl with a history of chronic pancreatitis and upper abdominal pain. Sonography also showed a pseudocyst of the pancreas with pleural effusion. The patient was treated conservatively with nutritional support and intercostal drainage of the pleural fluid. Her symptoms resolved and the pleural effusion gradually disappeared. Sonography is useful in confirming the presence of a suggested pancreatopleural fistula and can avoid the need for other, more technically challenging imaging modalities. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 30:503–505, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www. interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jcu.10103