Rationale:
In response to the global coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have been developed. Although many infrequent side effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine have been reported, only a few cases of pancreatitis have been reported.
Patient concerns:
A 71-year-old woman was presented to the hospital with upper abdominal pain and vomiting. She had no history of alcohol consumption, pancreatitis, or allergic reactions to vaccines. She had received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine 2 days prior to her current presentation. Laboratory tests revealed elevated serum pancreatic enzymes. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas with fat stranding extending to below the kidneys bilaterally.
Diagnosis:
The patient was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis.
Interventions:
The patient was treated with the administration of intravenous antimicrobials, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, and proton pump inhibitors.
Outcomes:
The patient had an uneventful recovery with no complications.
Lessons:
Acute pancreatitis can develop shortly after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Therefore, of great importance to differentiate acute pancreatitis when abdominal pain occurs after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic disorder characterized by tissue eosinophilic infiltration and vasculitis. Although EGPA causes multiple organ damage, it causes cholecystitis less frequently. We herein report a case of acute cholecystitis associated with EGPA in which successful treatment with glucocorticoid therapy allowed surgery to be avoided. EGPA can present as acute cholecystitis. It is important not to overlook acute cholecystitis associated with EGPA in patients with abdominal pain with peripheral eosinophilia. Furthermore, in cases of mild cholecystitis associated with EGPA that are diagnosed preoperatively, cholecystectomy might be avoided with conservative glucocorticoid treatment.
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