A Case of Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis due to Pancreatic Arteriovenous Malformation

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an extremely rare condition with various clinical manifestations. We report herein a case of recurrent acute pancreatitis due to pancreatic AVM in a 49-year-old man. This patient presented with epigastric pain that had developed after consuming alcohol 2 days prior to admission. Serum amylase and lipase levels were elevated and computed tomography revealed focal low-attenuation lesions with peripancreatic infiltrations in the pancreatic tail and multiple collateral vessels around the low-attenuation lesions. He was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and pancreatic AVM. Although he had stopped drinking after the first attack of acute pancreatitis, his pancreatitis recurred twice within 3 months. He underwent a distal pancreatectomy after the third attack of acute pancreatitis. He was free of symptoms for 2 years after the pancreatectomy.