Jejunal Obstruction as a Complication of Acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis

The pathogenesis of the various sequelae of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis generally is more understandable than that of the parent condition. Up to the present time, efforts both to fathom the cause and to devise a consistently satisfactory treatment for pancreatitis have been relatively ineffectual.

The majority of the complications of acute pancreatitis are produced by the intense inflammatory process which occurs in the area of the pancreas. Among these complications must be included pseudocyst of the pancreas,⁸ pancreatic fistula, subdiaphragmatic and intra-abdominal abscess, biliary tract obstruction with jaundice,² splenic infarction,³ and pleural effusion. Secondary metabolic disorders, both diabetes¹⁰ and alterations in calcium metabolism,¹¹ have been reported.

Although intestinal obstruction has been recorded in a few instances, this complication has largely involved the large intestine in the region of the splenic flexure.* For this reason, it has seemed desirable to report an unusual case of high