Challenges in diagnosing acute pancreatitis in renal transplant patients

Kate Taylor, Smeeta Sinha, Alistair Cowie, Christopher Babbs, Roy S. Reeve, Philip A. Kalra*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is a recognized occurrence in patients with end-stage renal disease, those on dialysis and those who have undergone renal transplantation. The incidence is significantly increased in comparison to the general population and carries significant mortality. We report two cases of acute pancreatitis that occurred in stable renal transplant recipients, and in which there was diagnostic difficulty. The etiology of the acute pancreatitis is not always identifiable in these patients. Classical symptoms and laboratory findings are often absent, which may cause diagnostic difficulty. Our experience suggests that in immunosuppressed patients with unexplained abdominal pain or abnormal liver function tests, acute pancreatitis should be considered at an early stage in order to initiate appropriate treatment and therefore minimize mortality and morbidity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)985-989
Number of pages5
JournalClinical Transplantation
Volume23
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2009

Keywords

  • Acute pancreatitis
  • Acute renal failure
  • Immunosuppression
  • Renal transplant

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