Emerging Clinical Features of COVID-19 Related Pancreatitis: Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Vito Fiore; Rosalba Beretta; Andrea De Vito; Aleksandra Barac; Ivana Maida; David David Joeseph Kelvin; Claudia Piu; Vincenzo Lai; Giordano Madeddu; Salvatore Rubino; Goran Stevanovic; Stefan Korica; Sergio Babudieri

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.779118

Emerging Clinical Features of COVID-19 Related Pancreatitis: Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Jan 18:8:779118. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.779118. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Vito Fiore¹, Rosalba Beretta², Andrea De Vito¹, Aleksandra Barac^{3

4}, Ivana Maida¹, David David Joeseph Kelvin^{5

6}, Claudia Piu^{7

8}, Vincenzo Lai⁷, Giordano Madeddu¹, Salvatore Rubino^{3

4

7

8}, Goran Stevanovic^{3

9}, Stefan Korica^{3

10}, Sergio Babudieri¹

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
² Department of Emergency, Area Socio-Sanitaria Locale, Olbia, Italy.
³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
⁴ Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.
⁵ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
⁶ Laboratory of Immunity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
⁷ Unit of Microbiology and Virology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
⁸ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
⁹ Clinical Center of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
¹⁰ Clinic for Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Clinical Center Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is fundamentally a respiratory pathogen with a wide spectrum of symptoms. The COVID-19 related pancreatitis is less considered than other clinical features. The purpose is to describe two cases of pancreatitis associated with COVID-19.

Methodology: Patients' demographics, clinical features, laboratory, and instrumental findings were collected.

Results: Two patients admitted to the hospital were diagnosed with COVID-19 and severe acute pancreatitis, according to the Atlanta criteria. Other causes of acute pancreatitis were excluded. Treatment included broad-spectrum antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and low molecular weight heparin. Steroids, oxygen, antifungal treatment, and pain killers were administered when appropriate. Both patients were asymptomatic, with normal vital parameters and blood exams, and were discharged in a good condition.

Conclusion: It is recommendable to include lipase and amylase on laboratory routine tests in order to evaluate the need for the abdominal CT-scan and specific therapy before hospital admission of the patients with COVID-19 related life-threatening acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; acute; angiotensin-converting enzyme; severe pancreatitis.

Publication types

Case Reports