Classification of emphysematous pancreatitis and its relation to prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

Emphysematous pancreatitis (EP) is a subtype of infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN). It is characterized by the accumulation of gas inside or around the pancreatic necrotic tissue. This study aims to investigate the relation between classification and prognosis of EP, and to provide guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment of IPN.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 228 cases of IPN from January 2010 to June 2020 in the Department of General Surgery of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were analyzed. Among them, 120 cases without peritoneal/retroperitoneal surgical intervention before admission were included. The 120 cases of IPN were classified into the EP group and the non-EP group. The general clinical information and results of pathogenic microorganism between the EP and the non-EP group were compared. EP patients were divided into early-EP (within 2 weeks of onset) and late-EP (after 2 weeks of onset) according to the presence timing of air bubble sign, and they were divided into extensive-EP and common-EP according to the distribution characteristics of bubble sign. The clinical characteristics between the survivors and non-survivors of both IPN and EP were compared.

RESULTS

Among the 120 IPN patients, 25 (20.8%) were EP patients and 95 (79.2%) were non-EP patients. According to the classifications, 8 were early-EP (32.0%) and 17 were late-EP (68.0%); 15 were common-EP (60.0%) and 10 were extensive-EP (40.0%). There was no significant difference in gender, age, etiology, and mortality between the EP group and the non-EP group (all >0.05). The percentage of infection in the EP group was significantly higher than that in non-EP group (52.0% vs 16.5%, <0.05). Among the 120 IPN patients, 35 died (IPN non-survivors) and 85 patients survived (IPN survivors). The mortality rate of IPN was 29.2%. There was no significant difference in gender, age, and etiology between the IPN non-survivors and the IPN survivors (all >0.05). The proportion of severe patients in IPN non-survivors was significantly higher than that in the IPN survivors (97.1% vs 54.1%, <0.05). Among the 25 cases of EP, 8 died (EP non-survivors) and 17 survived (EP survivors). The mortality rate of EP was 32.0%. There was no significant difference in gender, age, etiology, and time from gas detected to surgical intervention between the EP non-survivors and the EP survivors (all >0.05). The proportion of early-EP and extensive-EP in the EP non-survivors was significantly higher than that in the EP survivors (both <0.05). The mortality was up to 100% in the early- and extensive-EP patients. All of the EP non-survivors were severe patients, while 58.8% of the EP survivors were moderate or severe patients, the difference was statistically significant (<0.05). All of the EP survivors underwent step-up surgical treatment strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

Air bubble sign is not associated with the prognosis of IPN. Early- and extensive-EP often indicate worse prognosis. Aggressive surgical intervention based on step-up approach should be considered with priority.