RECURRENT ACUTE-PANCREATITIS DUE TO CHOLESTEROL EMBOLIZATION

The influence of vascular disorders on the etiology of acute pancreatitis is increasingly recognized. However, the pathophysiologic mechanism is unclear. We report a 65-year-old patient with known cardiovascular disease and aneurysm of the abdominal aorta who sustained three bouts of acute pancreatitis. Each time he improved upon conservative treatment. After aortocoronary bypass operation and y-graft replacement of the abdominal aorta he experienced a forth bout of pancreatitis from which he did not recover. The patient died on the 17th postoperative day. Histological examination of the pancreas showed fresh and old cholesterol emboli in small arteries and extensive acute necrotizing pancreatitis combined with focal fibrosis. From these findings we conclude that recurrent acute pancreatitis was caused by recurrent