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Imaging in acute pancreatitis

CT Unit, Department of Radiology, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Leeds, UK

Correspondence: A G Chalmers

• The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis should be made within 48 h of hospital admission.
  
• There must be a diligent search for an aetiology with no more than 20% of cases labelled as idiopathic.
  
• Contrast enhanced CT is currently the gold standard for assessment.
  
• The first 2 weeks of the illness is dominated by the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Pancreatic necrosis has usually become established by 48–72 h.
  
• Infected necrosis occurs some 2 weeks or more after onset of the illness and is associated with a high mortality. The detection and possible treatment of infection is a priority for imaging in this phase of the illness.
  

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