Haemorrhagic pancreatitis

Last revised by Jeremy Jones on 20 Sep 2021

Haemorrhagic pancreatitis is characterised by bleeding within or around the pancreas, and is usually considered a late sequela of acute pancreatitis.

Pathology

Haemorrhage can occur in patients with severe necrotising pancreatitis or as a result of pancreatic pseudoaneurysm rupture when it constitutes a life-threatening emergency.

Aetiology

According to one study, the usual causes of haemorrhage were 2:

  • bleeding pancreatic pseudoaneurysm or peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm: ~60%
  • diffuse bleeding with pancreatic necrosis: ~20%
  • haemorrhagic pancreatic pseudocysts: ~20%

Radiographic features

CT

Acute haemorrhage typically has high attenuation on unenhanced CT scans. The attenuation value then decreases as the haematoma ages through time 5.

MRI

Haemorrhagic fluid collections are more evident on MRI than CT due to the following reasons 1:

  • T1: high-signal intensity methaemoglobin 
  • T2: low-signal intensity haemosiderin rim

Signal abnormalities due to haemorrhage remain visible longer on MRI than on CT.

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