Principles of diagnosis and choice of treatment tactics for patients with pancreatic-pleural fistulas

Abstract

Introduction. Pancreatic-pleural fistula is a rare complication of pancreatitis that has no pathognomonic symptoms and unified approaches to the choice of treatment tactics.The aim of the study was to formulate the principles of diagnosis and choice of treatment tactics in patients with pancreatic-pleural fistulas.Materials and methods. Five patients with pancreatic-pleural fistulas were treated from 2012 to 2022. All patients underwent standard clinical-laboratory and instrumental methods of investigation.Results. The diagnosis of pancreatic-pleural fistula was made at 18−65th day from the disease on the basic of amylase activity in the pleural effusion from 29462 to 51328 U/L. Surgical treatment consisted of pleural cavity and pancreatic pseudocyst drainage in two patients, in one patient we performed pleural cavity drainage and Virsung’s duct stenting, one patient underwent pancreatic duct stenting and repeated pleural punctures, one patient had papillosphincterotomy, video-thoracoscopy and pleural cavity drainage. Discussion Diagnosis of pancreatic-pleural fistulas is based on a set of criteria: history of acute attacks or exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, presence of pancreatic pseudocyst, recurrent hydrothorax, brown pleural effusion, and high amylase activity in it. Surgical treatment tactics can be staged and characterized by the principle “from simple to complex”.Conclusion. The diagnostic algorithm of pancreatic-pleural fistulas is based on the data on acute pancreatitis, recurrent hydrothorax, hemorrhagic nature of the effusion and high level of amylase in it. The choice of surgical treatment tactics implies combination of pleural cavity drainage with Virsung’s duct stenting, as well as external drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst (if any).