Abstract
Introduction: One of the most common diseases with high mortality is acute pancreatitis, which is caused by gallstone disease or excess alcohol ingestion. Elevation in serum amylase and lipase levels supports the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Potential valuable tests in evaluation of acute pancreatitis are ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, additionally, they're useful in identifying stones in the common bile duct and directly evaluating the pancreatic parenchyma.
Aim of work: In this article, we highlight the classification, treatment and prognosis of acute pancreatitis, and treatment options for complications of acute pancreatitis.
Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 1985, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: acute pancreatitis, causes of pancreatitis, diagnosis of pancreatitis, management of pancreatitis
Conclusions: Acute pancreatitis remains a common reason of hospital admission necessitating a multipronged approach for the diagnosis and treatment. Management is predominantly focused toward supportive care with advanced endoscopic adjuncts (in the setting of choledocholithiasis, symptomatic pseudocysts, or walled-off pancreatic necrosis) and early surgical mediation (i.e., cholecystectomy in the setting of an index admission for gallstone pancreatitis) used when clinically needed, although its antecedents remain multifactorial, as are the number of scoring systems that define severity.