Prognostic value of CT in the early assessment of patients with acute pancreatitis.

Objective: This study investigates the prognostic value of early CT in acute pancreatitis, the role of pancreatic necrosis as a indicator of prognosis, and the need for the routine use of IV iodinated contrast material in early CT to assess prognosis in these patients.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 148 patients who underwent unenhanced and contrast-enhanced helical CT within 72 hr after onset of symptoms of a first episode of acute pancreatitis. Patients were classified by CT grade and grouped into two categories (mild: grades A, B, C; and severe: grades D and E) that were correlated with complications and death.