Senile acute pancreatitis

Senile acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory lesion of the pancreas caused by autodigestion of the pancreas in the elderly. It is an important cause of acute abdomen in the elderly, accounting for 5% to 7%. The male-to-female ratio is 1:2 to 1:5. Elderly patients with acute pancreatitis often have multiple comorbidities such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and diabetes. Clinical symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, pale skin, cold sweats, thready and weak pulse, decreased blood pressure, and jaundice. Senile acute pancreatitis occurs less frequently in the elderly than in younger individuals. However, once it occurs, due to poor stress response and a higher number of complications, the condition tends to progress rapidly, and shock and multiple organ failure may appear early.