Enzymatic mediastinitis as a fearsome complication of pancreatic necrosectomy.

Enzymatic mediastinitis as a fearsome complication of pancreatic necrosectomy. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2018 Jun 22;110: Authors: Paniagua García-Señoráns M, Meléndez Villar MR, Senra Del Río P, García Fontán EM, Ausania F Abstract Several types of thoracic complications can be associated with severe acute pancreatitis. Some are very common, such as pleural effusion, whilst some others are very rare although life threatening, such as enzymatic mediastinitis (EM). Only a few cases of EM (when related to acute pancreatitis) have been described in the literature. Here we describe the case of a 76-year-old female who developed acute respiratory failure and atrial fibrillation during the postoperative period after an open pancreatic necrosectomy, due to an EM episode. The mediastinal collection was drained by thoracotomy, following an improvement of the patient's general condition. This is the first case of EM following surgical management for acute necrotizing pancreatitis. EM is a rare but life threatening complication that usually requires surgery. PMID: 29931993 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Revista Espanola de Enfermedades Digestivas - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Rev Esp Enferm Dig Source Type: research