Presentation
Two days of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Admits to drinking 2-3 ounces of alcohol per day.
Patient Data
Note: This case has been tagged as "legacy" as it no longer meets image preparation and/or other case publication guidelines.
Edematous pancreas.
Fatty liver.
Edematous pancreas. Marked peripancreatic fat stranding.
Fatty liver. Minute amount of free fluid between the liver and the abdominal wall.
Small bilateral pleural effusions, left larger than right.
Case Discussion
This patient presented with typical clinical and laboratory findings of acute pancreatitis.
Elevated lab values included amylase 434 U/L, lipase 1849 U/L, MCV 108 fL, and alkaline phosphatase 149.U/L Her serum glucose and triglyceride levels were also elevated.
Women develop complications from alcohol consumption at lower levels than men, mainly due to the fact that they produce less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), their hepatic ADH is less active than men's, and, contrary to men, have no alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomachs.