Wirsung atraumatic rupture in patient with pancreatic pseudocysts: a case presentation

A ruptured pancreatic pseudocyst causes acute peritonitis with clinical characteristics of a gastrointestinal tract perforation

Intraperitoneal air in pancreatic pseudocysts is a rare complication that can jeopardize hemodynamic stability and requires emergency surgery. A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital after abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Computed tomography showed a hollow visceral perforation with intraperitoneal air and two pseudocysts close to the pancreas. The patient was transferred to the emergency operating room with symptoms of septic shock. We histopathologically diagnosed a ruptured pancreatic pseudocyst combined with an intracystic haemorrhage. We resected a portion of the pseudocyst wall using surface electrocautery inside the lumen, cholecystectomy and peritoneal toilet and maintained adequate external drainage. The patient was discharged on postoperative Day 12. The patient achieved relapse-free survival for 12 months postoperatively. Ruptured pancreatic pseudocysts with extraluminal gas are dangerous if effective medical interventions are not performed. Emergency surgery should be completed as soon as possible to drain the pancreatic cyst and cleanse the abdomen.

Two's a Charm: Endoscopic Therapy of Multiple Pancreatic Pseudocysts

Pancreatic pseudocysts commonly complicate acute pancreatitis. They can evolve either asymptomatically or with important symptoms. Treatment can be surgical, endoscopic, or percutaneous. The authors present a case report of a 78-year-old man who developed symptoms of an acute abdomen during hospitalization. A CT scan showed two pancreatic pseudocysts (diameters 10 cm and 7.5 cm) that were successfully drained endoscopically. Multiple pancreatic pseudocysts can be treated successfully via an endoscopic approach.