Difficulties in Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Bilateral Pancreaticopleural Fistula

Abstract

The study presented clinical observation of a patient with a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis - a formed bilateral pancreaticopleural fistula. The clinical picture of the disease was similar to that of recurrent bilateral hydrothorax. To specify the diagnosis, it was necessary to perform a pleural puncture with a biochemical analysis of the removed pleural fluid. A high level of pancreatic amylase in the pleural fluid, results of targeted multislice computed tomography of the pancreas with contrast and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed a bilateral pancreaticopleural fistula. Distal resection of the pancreas proved to be an effective and sufficient radical surgical intervention, which provided reliable elimination of the pancreaticopleural fistula and bilateral enzymatic pleurisy.