Small bowel obstruction secondary to impacted pancreatic necrosum through a spontaneous duodenal fistula: a first in the literature.

Abstract

A 58-year-old man presented with alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis. Imaging revealed complete necrosis of the pancreatic parenchyma. After initial non-operative management, the patient developed a duodenal ulcer and an upper gastrointestinal bleed and later spontaneously formed a fistula between the pancreas and the first segment of the duodenum. Through this fistula, the entire pancreatic necrosum migrated to the distal small bowel, where it became entrapped as a bezoar, causing a high-grade small bowel obstruction. The patient then proceeded to laparotomy, where the obstruction was resolved by removing the necrosum through an enterotomy. No surgical intervention to the pancreatic bed or duodenum was required, and he was ultimately discharged home on insulin and pancreatic enzymes. This is the first reported case in the medical literature of a spontaneous duodenal fistula leading to small bowel obstruction due to a bezoar of pancreatic necrosum.