Published online Nov 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16364
Revised: July 31, 2014
Accepted: September 5, 2014
Published online: November 21, 2014
Acute pancreatitis during pregnancy is a rare event, and can be associated with high maternal mortality and fetal loss. Gallstone disease is thought to be the most common causative factor of acute pancreatitis, but, in many cases, the cause remains unclear. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman at 35 wk of gestation, who presented with severe pain confined to the upper abdomen and radiating to the back. The patient was diagnosed with acute idiopathic pancreatitis, which was managed conservatively; she recovered within several days and then delivered a healthy baby. Therefore it is important to consider acute pancreatitis when a pregnant woman presents with upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in order to improve fetal and maternal outcomes for patients with acute pancreatitis.
Core tip: Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy is infrequent and, if poorly managed, it can increase maternal and fetal mortality. There have been a few case reports published about acute idiopathic pancreatitis in pregnancy thus far. Here, we report a case of a patient that presented with epigastric pain at her 35th wk of gestation and was consequently diagnosed with acute idiopathic pancreatitis. The patient successfully recovered after conservative treatment and did not experience any complications. This case emphasizes the importance of early diagnostic studies and proper therapeutic management to help reduce maternal mortality and fetal loss associated with acute pancreatitis during pregnancy.