Acute pancreatitis
- Etiology: stones in gallbladder / common bile duct / pancreatic duct, congenital duct anomalies – pancreatic divisum / long common channel, viral (mumps, coxsackie, CMV, EBV), medications, blunt abdominal trauma,idiopathic
- Imaging: parenchymal findings – focal / diffuse enlargement of pancreas with heterogenous enhancement / pancreatic necrosis (decreased density, enhancement) / abnormal parenchymal signal [normally pancreas is hyperintense to liver on T1WI and isointense to liver on T2WI], peripancreatic inflammation, peripancreatic fluid, necrosis (pancreatic / peripancreatic), vascular thrombosis / pseudoaneurysm, pseudocyst (simple fluid, well defined wall), walled off necrosis is pancreatic or peripancreatic and contains debris / solid components
- Complications: necrosis of pancreas, peripancreatic fluid, vascular thrombosis / pseudoaneurysm, infection (gas in tissue)
- Clinical: abdominal pain, amylase + lipase 3 times normal, complete structural + functional reconstitution of pancreas at end
Acute recurrent pancreatitis
- Etiology: idiopathic, structural anomalies, genetic / heriditary
- Imaging: findings are same as acute pancreatitis but look for bilio-pancreatic structural + obstructive causes
Chronic pancreatitis
- Definition: > 2 episodes of acute pancreatitis that return to baseline
- Etiology: cystic fibrosis, fibrosing pancreatitis, heriditary chronic pancreatitis, inborn errors of metabolism
- Imaging: main pancreatic duct dilation and irregularity, side pancreatic duct dilation, pancreatic duct strictures, pancreas loss of T1 signal and delayed enhancement, pancreas fibrosis and atrophy, calcification
- Clinical: severe chronic abdominal pain, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, glycemic abnormalities, diabetes
Radiology Cases of Acute Pancreatitis
Radiology Cases of Chronic Pancreatitis

