Pancreatic encephalopathy: clinical, pathogenetic and diagnostic aspects

Pancreatic encephalopathy occurs in 9–35% of patients with pancreatic diseases and is characterized by a variety of focal neurological symptoms. Neuropsychiatric disorders are observed both during the acute and latent period of the pancreatic diseases. The presence of pancreatic encephalopathy should be suspected if patients with symptoms of acute pancreatitis have neurological symptoms. The course of acute pancreatic encephalopathy is cyclical, fluctuating, being in direct proportion to the pancreatic process. Leading mechanism in the development of pancreatic encephalopathy is a combination of hyperenzymemia with insulin imbalance which leads to changes of water-electrolyte balance and carbohydrate metabolism. Infectious complications, that often accompany acute pancreatitis, lead to the increasing intoxication syndrome.