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Abstract
The name of pancreas is derived from the Greek ’pan’ (all) and ’Kreas’ (flesh).
It was originally thought to act as a cushion for the stomach.
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammation of the pancreas secondary to a variety of causes.
That results in the activation of a number of pancreatic proteolytic enzymes within the organ that can cuminate in digestion of the organ itself.
The pathological definition is: ”A nonbacterial inflammation of the pancreatic gland caused by the activation and the digestion of the gland by its own enzymes” (Murray Orbuch, 2004).
Despite four international consensus meeting over 40 years, the issue of definition and classification of pancreatitis is still under critical revision.
The main reason is the difficulty, in contrast to other common inflammatory gastroenterologic diseases, to obtain pancreatic tissue specimens to define the diagnosis better during inflammatory process.
The classification of pancreatitis needs to be based on clinical, morphologic, and laboratory features (Bassi C. & Butturini G., 2007).
AP presents as an acute abdomen.
Pain begins suddenly, severely and continuously from the outset. Initially it is poorly localized in the upper abdomen and is often described by the patient as ’going through to the back’. Relentless vomiting is a nearly feature.
In the early stages, the patient is restless and constantly changes posture in the search for a comfortable position.
Pain is most often relieved by leaning forward in the so-called ’pancreatic position’. With the onset of peritonitis, movement becomes increasingly painful and the patient tends to lie still.
The clinical signs depend on the severity of the inflammatory process and the stage to which it has progressed (Ranson J. H. et al., 1996).