Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common critical disease of the digestive system that is often associated with multiple complications. Vascular complications are relatively rare and are one of the causes of death. AP complicated with pulmonary embolism (PE) is even rarer, and there are no reports of AP complicated with PE in elderly patients.
Case summary: We describe a rare case of AP complicated with PE and review the literature. A 68-year-old woman was diagnosed with AP due to widespread abdominal pain. During the course of treatment, the patient had shortness of breath and progressively worsening dyspnea without chest pain or hemoptysis with a progressive increase in D-dimer and fibrin degradation product. Respiratory failure and right heart failure occurred, and refractory hypoxemia remained after mechanical ventilation. Plain chest computed tomography revealed a small amount of left pleural effusion and external pressure atelectasis in the lower lobe of the left lung but no findings that could lead to refractory hypoxemia. Color Doppler ultrasound indicated pulmonary hypertension and extensive venous thrombosis in the lower extremities. Chest computed tomography angiography finally suggested pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient's dyspnea symptoms disappeared after anticoagulation treatment.
Conclusion: During the diagnosis and treatment of AP, it is necessary to dynamically monitor D-dimer and consider PE.
Keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Case report; D-dimer; Diagnosis; Pulmonary embolism; Vein thrombosis.
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