Total pancreatectomy for acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. A case report.

A patient with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis treated successfully with total pancreatectomy is reported. Total pancreatectomy is rarely indicated in acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis as suggested by only one surviving patient in the literature so far. Though near total pancreatectomy remains the best surgical treatment in patients with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis dying from the disease because of failure of nonoperative treatment, total pancreatectomy may be considered as an alternative if circumstances so indicate.