Acute idiopathic pancreatitis in pregnancy: a case study.

Acute pancreatitis during pregnancy is a rare event, and can be associated with high maternal mortality and fetal loss. Gallstone disease is thought to be the most common causative factor of acute pancreatitis, but, in many cases, the cause remains unclear. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman at 35 wk of gestation, who presented with severe pain confined to the upper abdomen and radiating to the back. The patient was diagnosed with acute idiopathic pancreatitis, which was managed conservatively; she recovered within several days and then delivered a healthy baby. Therefore it is important to consider acute pancreatitis when a pregnant woman presents with upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in order to improve fetal and maternal outcomes for patients with acute pancreatitis.