Acute pancreatitis as an initial presentation of Crohn's disease: A case report

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is not commonly known to be an extra-intestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease (CD). Several cases have been reported discussing the relation of AP with CD. However, no specific etiological factors for pancreatitis were found, which appears to support the possibility of a relationship between AP and CD. We report a 30-year-old male present with generalized abdominal pain associated with watery diarrhea. Diagnosis of AP was made. A CT abdomen showed pancreatic inflammation with a terminal ileum thickening. Colonoscopy with multiple biopsy was done for the patient, which confirmed the diagnosis of CD. The patient started on adalimumab for 6 months, showed good response, and became symptomatically free. No recurrent attacks after 2 years of follow-up. The association between AP and CD is not yet clear. Therefore, patients presenting with idiopathic pancreatitis should be investigated to rule out the coexistence of IBD for better outcome.