BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuPancreatic abscessA pancreatic abscess is an area filled with pus within the pancreas. Causes Pancreatic abscesses develop in people who have:AbscessesAn abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body. In most cases, the area around an abscess is swollen and inflamed.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pancreatic pseudocysts Pancreatic pseudocystsA pancreatic pseudocyst is a fluid-filled sac in the abdomen that arises from the pancreas. It may also contain tissue from the pancreas, enzymes, a...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Severe pancreatitis that becomes infected Symptoms Symptoms include:Abdominal mass Abdominal massAn abdominal mass is swelling in one part of the belly area (abdomen).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chills ChillsChills refers to feeling cold after being in a cold environment. The word can also refer to an episode of shivering along with paleness and feeling ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Inability to eat Nausea and vomitingNausea and vomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests Most people with pancreatic abscesses have had pancreatitis. However, the complication often takes 7 or more days to develop.Signs of an abscess can be seen on:CT scan of the abdomen CT scanAn abdominal CT scan is an imaging method. This test uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomog...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article MRI of the abdomen MRI of the abdomenAn abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The waves create pictures of the inside ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the abdomen UltrasoundAbdominal ultrasound is a type of imaging test. It is used to look at organs in the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood tests will show high white blood cell count. A blood culture may grow bacteria. Treatment It may be possible to drain the abscess through the skin (percutaneous). Abscess drainage can be done through an endoscope using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in some cases. Surgery to drain the abscess and remove dead tissue is often needed. Outlook (Prognosis) How well a person does depends on how severe the infection is. The death rate from undrained pancreatic abscesses is very high. Possible Complications Complications may include:Multiple abscesses SepsisSepsisSepsis is an illness in which the body has a severe, inflammatory response to bacteria or other germs.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your health care provider if you have:Abdominal pain with fever Other signs of a pancreatic abscess, especially if you have recently had a pancreatic pseudocyst or pancreatitis Prevention Draining a pancreatic pseudocyst may help prevent some cases of pancreatic abscess. However, in many cases, the disorder is not preventable.Open ReferencesReferencesBarshak MB. Pancreatic infection. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 76.Forsmark CE. Pancreatitis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 130.Law R, Baron TH. Endoscopic treatment of pancreatic disease. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 61.Van Buren G, Fisher WE. Acute and chronic pancreatitis. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee EM, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2024. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:175-182.AllVideoImagesTogDigestive system - illustration The esophagus, stomach, large and small intestine, aided by the liver, gallbladder and pancreas convert the nutritive components of food into energy and break down the non-nutritive components into waste to be excreted.Digestive systemillustrationEndocrine glands - illustration Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the rate of metabolism in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity).Endocrine glandsillustrationPancreas - illustration The pancreas is an elongated, tapered gland that is located behind the stomach and secretes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.PancreasillustrationDigestive system - illustration The esophagus, stomach, large and small intestine, aided by the liver, gallbladder and pancreas convert the nutritive components of food into energy and break down the non-nutritive components into waste to be excreted.Digestive systemillustrationEndocrine glands - illustration Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the rate of metabolism in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity).Endocrine glandsillustrationPancreas - illustration The pancreas is an elongated, tapered gland that is located behind the stomach and secretes digestive enzymes and the hormones insulin and glucagon.PancreasillustrationRelated Information Abscess(Condition)Pancreatic pseudocyst(Condition)Sepsis(Condition) Review Date: 12/31/2023 Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Aria - Jefferson Health Torresdale, Jefferson Digestive Diseases Network, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Pancreatic abscessA pancreatic abscess is an area filled with pus within the pancreas. Causes Pancreatic abscesses develop in people who have:AbscessesAn abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body. In most cases, the area around an abscess is swollen and inflamed.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pancreatic pseudocysts Pancreatic pseudocystsA pancreatic pseudocyst is a fluid-filled sac in the abdomen that arises from the pancreas. It may also contain tissue from the pancreas, enzymes, a...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Severe pancreatitis that becomes infected Symptoms Symptoms include:Abdominal mass Abdominal massAn abdominal mass is swelling in one part of the belly area (abdomen).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chills ChillsChills refers to feeling cold after being in a cold environment. The word can also refer to an episode of shivering along with paleness and feeling ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Inability to eat Nausea and vomitingNausea and vomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests Most people with pancreatic abscesses have had pancreatitis. However, the complication often takes 7 or more days to develop.Signs of an abscess can be seen on:CT scan of the abdomen CT scanAn abdominal CT scan is an imaging method. This test uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomog...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article MRI of the abdomen MRI of the abdomenAn abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The waves create pictures of the inside ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the abdomen UltrasoundAbdominal ultrasound is a type of imaging test. It is used to look at organs in the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood tests will show high white blood cell count. A blood culture may grow bacteria. Treatment It may be possible to drain the abscess through the skin (percutaneous). Abscess drainage can be done through an endoscope using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in some cases. Surgery to drain the abscess and remove dead tissue is often needed. Outlook (Prognosis) How well a person does depends on how severe the infection is. The death rate from undrained pancreatic abscesses is very high. Possible Complications Complications may include:Multiple abscesses SepsisSepsisSepsis is an illness in which the body has a severe, inflammatory response to bacteria or other germs.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your health care provider if you have:Abdominal pain with fever Other signs of a pancreatic abscess, especially if you have recently had a pancreatic pseudocyst or pancreatitis Prevention Draining a pancreatic pseudocyst may help prevent some cases of pancreatic abscess. However, in many cases, the disorder is not preventable.Open ReferencesReferencesBarshak MB. Pancreatic infection. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 76.Forsmark CE. Pancreatitis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 130.Law R, Baron TH. Endoscopic treatment of pancreatic disease. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 61.Van Buren G, Fisher WE. Acute and chronic pancreatitis. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee EM, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2024. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:175-182.