Natural course of asymptomatic walled off pancreatic necrosis.

INTRODUCTION

There is paucity of data on natural course of asymptomatic walled off necrosis (WON).

OBJECTIVE

To study the natural course as well as outcome of conservative management in patients with asymptomatic WON.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data base of patients with asymptomatic WON presenting to us 4-6 weeks after an episode of acute necrotising pancreatitis (ANP).

RESULTS

Forty three patients (37 M; mean age: 38.2 ± 10.4 years) with asymptomatic WON were studied. The size of WON ranged from 5 to 16 cm (mean 8.2 ± 2.2 cm). The site of WON was head, body and tail in 5 (11%), 34 (79%) and 4 (10%) patients respectively. Thirty of 43 patients (70%) patients did not have any complications during the expectant management period of 3 weeks-32 months with 13 (30%) patients having spontaneous resolution within 6.2 ± 3.4 months. Thirteen (30%) patients became symptomatic or developed complication within 3.2 ± 1.3 months. These were refractory pain (n = 7), infection (n = 4), spontaneous rupture into gastrointestinal tract (n = 5; stomach in 3, duodenum in 1 and colon in 1 patient respectively) and bleeding from splenic artery pseudoaneursym in 1 patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Majority of patients with asymptomatic WON have an uneventful clinical course. However, one third patients will develop symptoms/complications requiring interventional treatment.