Acute pancreatitis associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection: a case report and review of the literature

Development of a nomogram prediction model for severity of acute pancreatitis based on echocardiography parameters and systemic immunoinflammatory index

BACKGROUND

Early, rapid, and accurate prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) and screening high-risk populations have significant practical significance in reversing the progression of the disease. This study developed a nomogram prediction model for AP severity based on echocardiography and the systemic immunoinflammatory index (SⅡ), in order to provide new ideas for personalized disease assessment and treatment.

AIM

To investigate the ability of echocardiography combined with systemic immunoinflammatory index (SⅡ) to predict the severity and stratify the risk of AP.

METHODS

Three hundred and fifty AP patients admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 were randomly divided into either a modeling group (n = 245) or a verification group (n = 105) in a 7:3 ratio, and they were divided into a severe AP subgroup (SAP subgroup) and non-severe AP subgroup (NSAP subgroup) according to the severity of AP. General data, laboratory tests, SⅡ score, and echocardiography parameters were statistically analyzed. The influencing factors of SAP morbidity were analyzed by Logistic regression, and regression equations were obtained according to the indicators with a statistical difference. A nomogram was obtained and verified by visual processing of the logistic regression model with R software.

RESULTS

After multiple linear exclusion of Th17 cells and Treg cells, logistic regression showed that SII, BISAP score, CXC chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL-13), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume (SV), and early diastolic peak velocity of lateral mitral valve opening/late diastolic peak velocity of lateral mitral valve opening (E/A) were the factors influencing the development of SAP (P < 0.05). The C index of the prediction model in the modeling group and the verification group was 0.955 and 0.979, the net reclassification index (NRI) value was 0.590 and 0.572, and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) value was 0.091 and 0.089, respectively. The SAP calibration curve was close to the 45° reference line.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram prediction model for AP severity developed based on SⅡ, BISAP score, CXCL-13, NT-proBNP, LVEF, SV, and E/A has reliable predictive value, which can help to guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment and control the disease progression.

Acute pancreatitis and COVID-19: an integrative review of the literature

The first cases of the COVID-19 disease were identified in late 2019 in China, but it didnt take long for it to become pandemic. At first, it was believed that it was restricted to respiratory symptoms only, until extrapulmonary manifestations were reported worldwide. Acute pancreatitis concomitant with the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been observed in some patients, in the absence of the most common etiologies described in the literature. It is postulated that the presence of the ECA-2 viral receptor in the pancreas is responsible for the direct cellular damage and that the hyperinflammatory state of COVID-19 favors the development of pancreatitis through an immune-mediated mechanism. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 disease as a probable causality factor. An integrative literature review was carried out, including studies published between January 2020 and December 2022 that brought data on patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis according to the revised Atlanta Classification with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the same period. A total of thirty studies were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging aspects were analyzed and discussed. It is believed that SARS-CoV-2 was responsible for the development of acute pancreatitis in these patients, due to the absence of other precipitating risk factors, as well as the close temporal relationship between both. Attention should be given to gastrointestinal manifestations in patients affected by COVID-19.

Risks associated with acute pancreatitis (AP) with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in COVID-19 patients: a literature review

Background

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) has become a global pandemic, and medical experts are scrambling to understand the wide range of symptoms and consequences of the virus. Although acute pancreatitis (AP) and pancreatic damage have been associated with SARS-CoV-2, the mechanism behind this is still unclear. The current article explores whether COVID-19 is an additional cause of AP and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The article illustrates the conditions associated with AP and DKA among COVID-19 patients and diabetes mellitus (DM). Another critical condition is acute kidney injury (AKI), often associated with DKA.

Methods

A search strategy for the article was assigned and retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from 2020 to June 2022. The articles which discussed case studies on AP, DKA, and AKI were included in the study.

Results

The present review of 24 reported case studies represented conditions of AP (12), DKA (5), AP and DKA (5), AP and AKI (1), and DKA and AKI (1) among COVID-19 participants, and showed a potential relationship between the complications.

Conclusion

Healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic plays a major role among AP, DKA, and AKI-associated COVID-19 patients. A compilation of case studies suggests effective management of COVID-19 infection-related complications such as AP, DKA, and AKI.

Surgical intervention for acute pancreatitis in the COVID-19 era

Approximately 15%-19% of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections develop gastrointestinal symptoms. Acute pancreatitis (AP) has been reported in 0.1% of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Biliary AP was most common (78.4%) before the COVID-19 pandemic; idiopathic AP is most common in patients with COVID-19 (up to 57.1%). The number of emergency department presentations decreased by 23.3% during the pandemic and many governments made national recommendations to delay nonurgent endoscopic procedures, leading to decrements of 22% in combined esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy and 20% in EGD after the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms and signs of COVID-19-related AP are fever (63%), abdominal pain (58%), respiratory symptoms (40%), nausea and vomiting (39%), and headache (4%). Approximately 5-10% of patients develop necrotizing or hemorrhagic AP, and patients who required surgical intervention had a higher mortality risk. Compared to 2019, the rates of elective surgery decreased by 41.8% in 2020; including cholecystectomy (40.1% decrease) and pancreas (111.1% decrease). Surgical volumes also decreased by 18.7% in 2020; device-assisted laparoscopic and robot-assisted procedures reduced by 45.4% and 61.9% during the COVID-19 Lockdown in 2020.

Acute Pancreatitis Related to COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Analysis of Data

There is increasing literature mentioning severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (COVID-19 infection) causing acute pancreatitis (AP). It is hypothesized that SARS-Cov-2 causes pancreatic injury either by direct cytotoxic effect of the virus on pancreatic cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors - the main receptors for the virus located on pancreatic cells - or by the cytokine storm that results from COVID-19 infection or a component of both. Many viruses are related to AP including mumps, coxsackievirus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and as data evolves SARS-CoV-2 virus may be one of them as well. We conducted a systematic literature review to explore the current literature and provide an overview of the evidence of AP in COVID-19 infection. We studied the presence of AP in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and calculated the time of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection with respect to the time of diagnosis of AP. We also studied the age, gender, clinical manifestations, time of onset of symptoms, laboratory values, imaging findings, mortality, length of stay, comorbidities, need for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care, and excluded any other common causes of AP. We included 40 articles comprising 46 patients. All patients had a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and all patients had AP as per Atlanta's criteria. The most common clinical presentation was abdominal pain in 29 (63.0%). Edematous pancreas was the most common Computed Tomography Abdomen Pelvis (CTAP) scan finding in these patients (35 patients). Seventeen (37%) patients required ICU admission and six (13%) patients died. Our study provides an important overview of the available data on AP in COVID-19 patients and concludes that AP is an important complication in COVID-19 infection and should be considered as an important differential in patients with COVID-19 infection who complain of abdominal pain.

Review on acute pancreatitis attributed to COVID-19 infection

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Recent studies have revealed COVID-19-attributed acute pancreatitis (AP). However, clinical characteristics of COVID-19-attributed AP remain unclear. We performed a narrative review to elucidate relation between COVID-19 and AP using the PubMed database. Some basic and pathological reports revealed expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine 2, key proteins that aid in the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into the pancreas. The experimental and pathological evaluation suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infects human endocrine and exocrine pancreas cells, and thus, SARS-CoV-2 may have a direct involvement in pancreatic disorders. Additionally, systemic inflammation, especially in children, may cause AP. Levels of immune mediators associated with AP, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, interferon-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and tumor necrosis factor-α are higher in the plasma of patients with COVID-19, that suggests an indirect involvement of the pancreas. In real-world settings, some clinical features of AP complicate COVID-19, such as a high complication rate of pancreatic necrosis, severe AP, and high mortality. However, clinical features of COVID-19-attributed AP remain uncertain due to insufficient research on etiologies of AP. Therefore, high-quality clinical studies and case reports that specify methods for differential diagnoses of other etiologies of AP are needed.

[Systemic and extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19]

Although fever and respiratory symptoms are the main clinical expression of COVID-19 disease, important extrapulmonary complications that affect the majority of the organs and systems may occur. Multisystemic involvement can mainly be attributed to the generalized location of ACE2 receptors throughout the body, which act as the main point of entry for the virus. Systemic manifestations may occasionally appear before the typical symptoms, although they generally occur later or are sequelae of the disease. Thromboembolic complications are concerning due to their frequency and severity; they are the result of a hypercoagulable state with multiple possible clinical manifestations. Cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine-metabolic, skin, and ocular complications may occur. The manifestations and specific therapeutic aspects of COVID-19 disease in pregnant women as well as implications of the disease on children are discussed. The corresponding tests must be performed in all patients with a clinical suspicion of COVID-19 in order to confirm the diagnosis of the infection. The specific diagnostic tests that are indicative of involvement of different organs are guided based on clinical suspicion. These tests are conducted on an individual basis taking into account the isolation measures required and the severity of each case. Likewise, the corresponding treatment is administered according to criteria that generally similar to those for the general population.

COVID-19 Induced Acute Pancreatitis in a Malagasy Woman Patient: Case Report and Literature Review

Background

Case Presentation

Conclusion