Background: This study is a systematic appraisal of the management of major vascular complications of pancreatitis conducted by collating individual patient-episode data from published literature.
Methods: Searches identified 79 papers of which 62 provided detailed information on the clinical course of 214 patients. Principal outcomes were modes of presentation, results of diagnostic angiography, and embolization and overall outcome.
Results: There were 160 "spontaneous" and 40 postoperative episodes of hemorrhage. Underlying pancreatic disease was chronic pancreatitis (40), pseudocyst (135), and acute pancreatitis in 39. Angiography was undertaken in 173 (81%) with embolization attempted in 115 and achieving hemostasis in 85 (75%). There were 40 (19%) deaths. Mortality was greater in patients undergoing surgery as first intervention compared with angiography first (P = .01, Fisher exact test).
Conclusion: This analysis of pooled data provides evidence of a central role for mesenteric angiography in the diagnosis of major vascular complications of pancreatitis and for angiographic embolization as a powerful tool for achieving hemostasis.