Pancreatic encephalopathy.

A prospective study was conducted on 17 cases of acute pancreatitis; encephalopathy was discovered in six patients (35%). The following parameters were studied: the usual ones in pancreatitis conditions (amylasemia, lipasemia, amylasuria, ions, glucose, pO2, pCO2, pH, etc.), and electroencephalographic changes and determinations in CSF of cells, proteins, lipase, amylase, lipides and cholesterol. A direct relationship was found to exist between the pancreatic encephalopahy condition and an increase in CSF-lipase. The electroencephalographic changes were nonspecific. The encephalopathy did not affect the course of the pancreatitis condition, and showed no relationship to type of treatment involved. The severity of the pancreatitis was not related to the presence or absence of encephalopathy.