Acute pancreatitis in COVID 19 clinical case and literature review.

Abstract

Introduction: In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of the outbreak of a disease that originated in China. This virus is known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In March 2020, the Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Although the severity of the infection is determined above all by the appearance of severe pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, affectations in different apparatuses and systems have also been described. At the level of the digestive system, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are frequent. Acute pancreatitis is a reversible inflammatory process, which results from the activation of digestive enzymes released by this gland. This pathological entity is associated with multiples etiologies; therefore, some studies have reported a possible pancreatic injury associated with SARS-CoV2 infection due to a direct cytopathic effect of the virus or subsequent to the systematic inflammatory response. Objective: To determine the pancreatic manifestations of COVID 19, which is essential to aid in the diagnosis and guide towards the prognosis of this pathology. Methodology: In this article we discuss a case of acute pancreatitis that could be related to COVID 19 infection, and a systematic search of current and relevant bibliography related to the subject is carried out. Results: The pancreatic manifestations of SARS-CoV2 are not so common, however the simultaneous presence of both entities has been associated with higher hospital mortality. Conclusion: There is little evidence of scientific rigor at a real level to determine COVID 19 as a direct causal factor of Acute Pancreatitis, it requires more multicenter and higher impact studies.