ABSTRACT

To investigate the maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity due to acute pancreatitis during pregnancy by reviewing our experience over a ten-year period.

In this retrospective study, hospital charts were reviewed for every pregnant women with pancreatitis who was admitted between January 2003 and July 2012

A total of 14 women had acute pancreatitis within this period with a frequency of 1 in 1451 births, and 57.2% of cases were classified as mild pancreatitis. Two maternal deaths occurred (14.2%) and the etiology of pan-creatitis in these cases was hypercalcemia due to hyperparathyroidism and PIH. The frequency of preterm delivery was 61.5%. In the mild pancreatitis group, more than half of the deliveries (4/7) occurred beyond 37 weeks, while almost all deliveries (5/6) occurred prematurely in the severe pancreatitis group. The cause of preterm delivery was spontaneous preterm labor and fetal distress in most of the cases. No fetal or neonatal deaths were observed

This study emphasizes the progressive and fulminant course in severe disease, especially in hyper-calcemia and PIH induced pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis causes preterm delivery in most of the cases, which is a result of fetal compromise and premature uterine contractions associated with the severity of the disease. (Gazi Med J 2012; 23: 133-7)