Abdominal etiologies of pleural effusion

Duct-related complications of pediatric post-traumatic pancreatitis: A case report from Syria

INTRODUCTION

Pancreatic trauma is a rare type of abdominal injury, representing only 0.3 % of pediatric trauma cases. This condition may progress to chronic pancreatitis and result in multiple complications following damage to the pancreatic duct.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 5-year-old boy presented to the hospital with abdominal pain and had a history of chronic pancreatitis following a bicycle handlebar accident one year ago. Ultrasound screening revealed the presence of abdominal ascites which was treated conservatively. Two months post-treatment, the patient developed a pseudocyst in the head of the pancreas and a right-sided pleural effusion that was treated by inserting a plastic stent into the pancreatic duct through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This caused inflammation of the pseudocyst, which was eventually drained to the stomach using endoscopy. No recurrence was observed after removing the stents four weeks later.

DISCUSSION

Invasive techniques like ERCP are necessary for some cases of pancreatic fistulas that do not respond well to conservative treatment.

CONCLUSION

ERCP is an effective way to diagnose and treat several duct-related complications of traumatic pancreatitis. Although ideal management of such rare conditions remains highly debatable, non-invasive strategies are preferable for pediatric patients.

A Rare Case and Literature Review of Pyelo-Hepatic Abscess in an Immunocompetent Patient: When Effective Source Control and Targeted Antimicrobial Therapy Might Not Be Enough

Pyelo-hepatic abscess is a rare complication of upper urinary tract infections (UTIs). We describe a case of polymicrobial pyelo-hepatic abscess in an immunocompetent patient. A 71-year-old male patient with a double-J stent for right ureteral lithiasis was admitted in our Infectious Diseases Department for a pyelo-hepatic abscess. Despite a targeted antibiotic therapy against an extended spectrum betalactamase-negative Escherichia coli, the patient did not improve. Further examinations revealed a possible polymicrobial aetiology, including Candida spp. and E. coli resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam but sensitive to third-generation cephalosporins. To date, a paucity of articles regarding pyelo-hepatic abscess exist, consisting mostly of case reports. Urinary stones and a ureteral stent indwelling time exceeding 90 days are known risk factors for upper UTIs and for bacterial dissemination in contiguous organs. Pyelo-hepatic abscesses usually involve Gram-negative bacilli, but they can be polymicrobial, including fungi. As a range of factors could limit the efficacy of antibiotics inside an encapsulated lesion and might contribute to the selection of resistant species during treatment, clinicians should be aware of this complication and try to prevent this event by acting on the main modifiable risk factor.

The relationship between inflammatory cytokines and in-hospital complications of acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE

Acute necrotic collection (ANC), acute peripancreatic fluid collection (APFC), pleural effusion, and ascites are common early complications of acute pancreatitis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between 12 serum cytokines and the early complications and severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 307 patients with AP, and divided them into severe group and mild-to-moderate group according to the revised Atlanta classification. Propensity score matching was used to control for confounding factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between cytokine levels and early complications of AP.

RESULTS

Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly higher in the severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group than in the non-SAP group (p < .05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the upper quartiles of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were associated with an increased risk of ANC compared with those in the lowest quartile (IL-6: quartile 3, odds ratio [OR] = 3.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.95-8.16; IL-8: quartile 4, OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.27-4.84; IL-10: quartile 2, OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.09-4.56). APFC was associated with high serum levels of IL-6 (quartile 3, OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.02-1.72), pleural effusions were associated with high serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 (IL-1β: quartile 4, OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.21-4.58; IL-6: quartile 3, OR = 4.67, 95% CI = 2.27-9.61; IL-8: quartile 3, OR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.51-5.79; IL-10: quartile 4, OR = 3.20, 95% CI = 1.61-6.36), and high serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were associated with an increased risk of ascites (IL-6: quartile 3, OR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.42-6.37; IL-10: quartile 3, OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.23-5.37).

CONCLUSION

Serum cytokine levels, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 may be associated with the occurrence of early complications of AP. In daily clinical practice, IL-6 may be the most worthwhile cytokine to be detected.

Incidence and prognostic role of pleural effusion in patients with acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Pleural effusion (PE) is reported as a common complication in acute pancreatitis (AP), while the incidence of PE in AP varies widely among studies, and the association between PE and mortality is not clear. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the pooled incidence of PE in patients with AP and to evaluate the influence of PE on mortality through a meta-analysis.

METHOD

Six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, and OVID) were searched thoroughly for relevant studies. Data were extracted, and Stata SE 16.0 software was applied to compute the pooled incidence of PE and assess the association between PE and mortality, taking the risk ratio (RR) as the effect size.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles involving 7,675 patients with AP were eventually included in this meta-analysis. The pooled incidence of PE was 34% (95% CI: 28%-39%), with significant heterogeneity among studies (I2=96.7%). Further analysis revealed that the pooled incidence of unilateral and small PE occupied 49% (95% CI: 21%-77%) and 59% (95% CI: 38%-81%) of AP patients complicated by PE, respectively. The subgroup analysis revealed that "region" and "examination method" may contribute to heterogeneity. PE may be associated with increased mortality in AP patients (RR 3.99, 95% CI: 1.73-9.2).

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that PE is a common complication with high pooled incidence and that PE may be associated with increased mortality in AP patients. More studies should be performed to validate our findings.

Platelet-to-White Blood Cell Ratio: A Feasible Biomarker for Pyogenic Liver Abscess

The platelet-to-white blood cell ratio (PWR) has been reported to predict the severity of patients with various diseases. However, no previous studies have assessed the use of the PWR as a prognostic marker for pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA). This observational retrospective study was performed between January 2008 and December 2017, including 833 patients with PLA from multiple centers. The enrolled patients, on average, had a PWR of 17.05, and 416 patients had a PWR lower than 17.05. A total of 260 patients (31.2%) with PLA showed complications of metastatic infection, pleural effusion and abscess rupture. A low PWR level was identified as a strong risk factor for metastatic infection and pleural effusion. The low PWR group also had a longer hospital stay. In the multivariate analysis, old age, anemia, albumin and CRP levels and unidentified pathogens were significant factors for low PWR levels. A low PWR, old age, male sex, abscess size, albumin, ALP and unidentified causative pathogens showed significant associations with a hospital stay longer than 28 days. As a result, PLA patients presenting with a low PWR were shown to have more complications and a poor prognosis. Considering its cost-effectiveness, PWR could be a novel biomarker used to predict a prognosis of PLA.

Effects of Indwelling Pleural Catheter on Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Study

Background. Pleural effusion (PE) is an important predictor for severity and prognosis of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). However, there are few studies focused on the effects and timing of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) on SAP. Considering this, we designed a retrospective study to verify the relationship between PE and severity of SAP and observe the effects and timing of IPC in SAP. Methods. A total of 309 SAP patients were enrolled. Based on the presence or absence of PE and IPC and IPC time, the enrolled patients were divided into 6 groups. Then, baseline parameters, disease severity, critical complications, ventilator supporting time (VST), length of stay (LOS), and 60-day mortality were compared between each two groups. Results. PE was a risk factor for death of SAP, but not an independent risk factor. SAP patients with PE rather without PE had higher critical complication rates ( $p<0.001$ ), along with longer VST ( $p<0.001$ ) and LOS ( $p<0.001$ ). And the critical complication rates were lower in group 1 (IPC within 1 week of onset) than group 2 (IPC after 1 week of onset). Further, patients in group 1 also had shorter LOS ( $p=0.042$ ) and VST ( $p=0.001$ ) than those in group 2. In addition, the survival analysis showed the risk of death in the PE group was higher than the non-PE group (HR 6.6, 95% CI, 3.67–11.86, and $p<0.001$ ). And the risk of death in group 1 was lower than group 2 (HR 0.26, 95% CI, 0.08–0.84, and $p=0.025$ ). Conclusions. PE is a risk factor for death of SAP, but not an independent risk factor. IPC, especially IPC within 1 week of onset, has clinical practical value in SAP.