Correlation of Clinical, Ultrasound and CT Findings in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

Research Article

Austin J Gastroenterol. 2014;1(2): 1007.

Correlation of Clinical, Ultrasound and CT Findings in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

Tomislav Tasic1*, Saša Grgov1 and Aleksandar Nagorni1,2

1Department of gastroenterology and hepatology, General hospital Leskovac, Serbia

2Clinic for gastroenterology and hepatology, Clinical center Niš, Serbia

*Corresponding author: :Tomislav Tasic, Department of gastroenterology and hepatology, General hospital Leskovac, Rade Koncara 9, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia

Received: May 31, 2014; Accepted: June 23, 2014; Published: June 25, 2014

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis represents a set of dynamic and systematic and pathophysiological changes which are a result of autodigestive activation of pancreatic proenzyme, within gland parenchyma itself. The goal of the project included to determine the frequency of acute pancreatitis according to sex, age groups and severity of clinical picture. The goal was also to determine an correlation of obtained clinical, biohumoral, ultrasound, and CT (computed tomography) changes in acute pancreatitis, and the course and prognosis of the examined patient`s illness. The project also deals with the correlation of etiologic factors with the course and prognosis of the disease.

Methods: This study included 273 patients with acute pancreatitis, classified according Ranson’s criteria, with their clinical, ultrasound, endoscopy, radiology, and CT findings also classified and compared according the severity rate.

Results: No differences by the frequency, severity of clinical picture, course, and outcome of the disease between the sexes, (p>0,01), the differences in distribution of frequency are significant when it comes to the etiological factor (p<0,01). A significant correlation is established between severity of a disease by Ranson’s score and ultrasound findings by Balthazar’s score (r= 0,448 P-vrednost=0,0001). The high degree correlation (r=0,778 p=0,0001) is also proved between ultrasound and CT findings by Balthazar’s score in acute pancreatitis. CT finding correlates (r=0,415 p=0,001) with clinical picture of acute pancreatitis.

Conclusion: There is a significant correlation of severity a disease by Ranson’s score and ultrasound and CT findings by Balthazar’s score, and Clinic and ultrasound in acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: Acute pancreatitis, ultrasound, correlation

Introduction

Acute pancreatitis represents a set of dynamic and systematic and pathophysiological changes that are a result of autodigestive activation of pancreatic proenzyme, within gland parenchyma itself. In Europe, the incidence of acute pancreatitis is between 17.5 and 73.4 to 100.000 people, which indicates to epidemiological social significance of this disease [1,2]. The incidence of acute pancreatitis is significantly rising within the last few years, and the reason could be the routine testing of pancreas enzymes by the urgent condition with acute abdominal pain and in the raise of incidence of biliary lithiasis and obesity in the population [1]. There are mild and severe forms of acute pancreatitis. Mild forms, which occur in 80 to 90% of cases, correspond to so-called acute edematous pancreatitis, with the moderate edema of parenchyma, which ends with no major complications after the conservative therapy. There are major complications in severe hemorrhagic necrotic form of this disease, which occurs in 10 to 20% cases, which are threatening to vital functions and cause possible death due to the shock, hydroelectrolytic disorder, sepsis, metabolic disorders and multiple organ failure. Despite to the progress in diagnostic and therapy 10-25% of patients with severe form of acute pancreatitis end with lethal outcome. Two most common causes of acute pancreatitis, in 60-90% of cases, are biliary lithiasis and chronical consuming of alcohol. In an urban environment, more common cause is the consuming of alcohol, while the dominant cause in other environments is biliary calculosis. There are several theories which explain pathophysiological mechanism of the formation of the acute pancreatitis, but the most significant theories are the theory of primary lesion of acinic cells and theory of ductal obstruction with the bile reflux. The activated enzymes of pancreas (trypsin, chemotropsin, kallikrein, elastase, phospholipase A) enter the systematic circulation and cause the shock using different mechanisms. That causes a higher production and the release of inflammatory cytokines from neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes, like II-, II-6, II-8 and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF--α). That causes the syndrome of systematic inflammatory response (SIRS) which requires at least 2 of the next criteria: a puls above 90/min, number of respirations above 20/min, or PCO2 under 32mmHg, number Le under 4.000 or above 12.000 by mm cube, rectal temperature under 36 or above 38 degrees by Celsius and syndrome of multiorganic failure (MOF) [2,3,4], like systolic pressure under 90mmHg, PaO2 under 60mmHg, serum creatinine above 177μmol/l. Bleeding in Gl tract above 500ml/24h. Different grading systems are used for estimation of clinical picture and the disease prognosis, like Ranson’s score, Glazgov’s score, APACHE II score and others. Besides clinical, different morphological scoring systems are used (ultrasound, CT- Computed Tomography and NMR-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) [5]. The aim is the estimation of the severity degree and the prognosis of acute pancreatitis by the correlation of obtained clinical, ultrasound, and CT analysis, as well as the review of the etiological factors correlation with the course and prognosis of the disease.

Material and Methods

The retrospective-prospective study has included 273 patients (137 females and 136 males), with the average age of 58, 08 ± 0, 79 (between the age of 18 and 85), treated on the Clinic for gastroenterology and hepatology, from 2009 to 2012, with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. During the first 48 hours of hospitalization, patients had upper abdominal organ ultrasound examination (pancreas ultrasound examination). Ultrasound examinations were performed with real time devices SIEMENS ACUSION X300 with color Doppler, and also with TOSHIBA ECOSEE 75 with color Doppler, with sector and convex probes with the frequency of 3 and 3,5MHz. Clinical parameters were the level of blood pressure and the pulse frequency. The certain number of patients (61) was subjected to CT examination of the upper abdomen with contrast, and the ultrasound examination of upper abdomen, and they are compared to each other in the same patients. Clinical parameters, by the use of Ranson’s score and ultrasound examination, were the criteria for the classification of patients in the group of mild of the group of severe acute pancreatitis form. By the level of Ranson’s score, patients with the level of 0-2 are classified in the group of mild acute pancreatitis form, and patients with the score 3 or higher, are classified in the severe form group. The Ranson’s criteria within 48h of hospitalisation include: the age of the patient (the age above 70 is significant), the value of glycemia (the value above 10mnol/l is significant, except for diabetics), the value of ALT (aspartate of aminotransferase, significant values are above 200 IU/ml), the LDH value (lactate dehydrogenase, significant values are above 600 IU/ml), number of leukocytes in peripheral blood (the significant enlargement is above 15000/mm3).

The Balthazar’s grading system of ultrasound changes and changes on CT of the examined patients is used for examined patients, whose reports on pancreas and abdomen are classified from degree A to E. The numeric version of 0-4 is associated to each of these degrees: normal pancreas corresponds to the score of 0, focal or diffuse enlargement without peripancreatic lesions with smaller or larger intra pancreatic liquid collection, corresponds to the score of 1. Lesions from the previous stage plus enlargement plus peripancreatic inflammatory changes correspond to the score of 2, lesions from the previous stages plus enlargement with per pancreatic liquid collection, corresponds to the score of 3, lesions from the previous stages extensive liquid per pancreatic formations, correspond to the score of 4. Besides Balthazar’s system in CT acute pancreatitis classification, the necrosis score is also used. No necrosis, corresponds to the score of 0, necrosis is found on 1/3 of gland, corresponds to the score of 2, necrosis is found on ½ of gland, corresponds to the score of 4, necrosis is found on ½ of gland, corresponds to the score of 6. We have only compared the obtained values of Balthazar score using the same criteria for both morphological methods. Necrosis score could not be compared between US and CT because of limited capability of ultrasound to distinguish the necrosis and other changes like liquid area. Clinical hemodynamic indicators such as pulse frequency and value of high blood pressure are graded from 0 to 2. The clinical outcome in these groups is compared, in terms of average length of hospitalization and the outcome of treatment. The degree of the correlation between clinical, ultrasound and CT examination, and benefit of these diagnostic methods for predicting the course and disease outcome. To evaluate the severity and presence of complications, some patients underwent X-rays of the chest (pleural effusion presence, infiltration, etc.), with the grading of the findings to the appropriate score. Native X-rays of the abdomen was carried out and the in the standing position in order to exclude the presence of intestinal obstruction or pneumoperitoneum as the cause of pain, but also to define better the diagnostic pain in the abdomen, where the findings also graded according to the appropriate score. Proximal endoscopy was performed in some patients in whom there was a suspicion of gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer disease, or damage to the digestive tract within multiorgan failure. We used the video gastroscope PENTAX A -120 663, as well as light source Pentax EPK 1000 with LCD Monitor Sony LMD-1950 MD.

The processed results of examination are showed graphically and in table. The results analysis is done with standard statistic tests such as the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Student’s t test, Fisher’s test, the test of linear correlation by Spearman and χ2 test.

Results

A statistically significant difference in the distribution of acute pancreatitis frequency is determined, depending on age, with the highest expression in the seventh decade (p<0, 01), and it’s also determined that the highest expression frequency by males is in slightly younger age (sixth decade). In younger age groups males are prevalent and in older age groups females are prevalent. The value obtained by test of frequency distribution is χ2=191, 99> χ2 (7 and 0, 01) =20, 9 and p<0, 01 (Chart 1). It is determined that there is no difference in the structure of patients by the severity degree of acute pancreatitis clinical appearance between sex: χ2=1,05<χ2 =6,63 (1 and 0,01) p>0,01, 37,7% of total patients had Ranson’s score 0,31,5% had Ranson’s score 3 and 1,45% patients had Ranson’s score 4 (Chart 2). The average value of Ranson’s score was statistically higher in the group of patients with severe compared to the group with mild form (3, 11±0,05 and 0,76±0,05, respectively) acute pancreatitis (t=4,24>2,58 p<0,01). The ratio of the average values of Ranson’s score between the groups of alcoholic (Table 1) and biliary pancreatitis (Table 2), didn’t show statistically significant difference (t=0,0025<1,96 p>0,01), 235 (86,1%) of total number of patients were in the group of mild, and 38(13,9%) were in the group of severe acute pancreatitis form t=4, 38>2,58, if p<0,01. In the biliary pancreatitis group, the average age is significantly higher than the age in the alcoholic pancreatitis group, t=4, 97>2,58, p<0,01. According to the structure of patients by etiology, in our group the most common were patients with biliary pancreatitis, 157 (57,51%), then with alcohol 78 (28,57%), idiopathic or unknown etiology pancreatitis 26 (9,52%), caused by hyperlipidemia 10(3,67%), caused by ERCP of other causes 2(0,73%) (Table 3). We have determined that there is no statistically significant difference in the number of treated patients yearly in the period of monitoring from 2009 to 2012, χ2=10,39< χ2(3 and 0,01)=11,34, p>0,01 the frequency distribution of hospitalized patients doesn’t depend on age of monitoring.