Localized Pancreatitis in an Elderly Patient Without Suspected Etiology

Abstract

Once pancreatic inflammation is triggered, it spreads throughout the pancreas. Here, we present a case of localized pancreatitis wherein the inflammation was confined to the pancreatic head. A 91-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of vomiting and epigastric pain. Blood tests showed elevated pancreatic enzyme levels, whereas imaging studies showed an enlarged pancreatic head and an area of increased density in the surrounding fatty tissue extending along the retroperitoneum below the subrenal pole. Atrophy of the pancreatic parenchyma in the pancreatic body and tail and dilatation of the main pancreatic duct were observed. The patient was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, was kept nil by mouth, and was administered supplemental fluids. The symptoms resolved within two weeks. Age-related anatomical and histological changes in the pancreas may influence the development of pancreatitis, making it difficult to rule out the possibility of cancer. As age-related changes in the pancreas could lead to the development of pancreatitis, it is an important differential diagnosis of abdominal pain, even in older patients without suspected etiologies.