Predictive factors for pseudocysts and peripancreatic collections in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a proteiform disease which may lead to various complications. Pancreatic pseudocysts and fluid collections are among the most frequent of them. The aim of our study was to find predictive factors of their occurrence. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort study comprising one year patients admitted to our department with AP. Fisher's exact and U Mann Whitney tests were used for correlations, with a probability of error 90% specificity. Presence of ascites predicted formation of acute fluid collections, (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alcoholic etiology and low values of serum alkaline phosphatase seem to predict pseudocysts formation in acute pancreatitis, while ascites forecast acute fluid collections occurrence.