title: Pleural effusions: a new negative prognostic parameter for acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence, localization, and size of pleural effusions in 133 patients with acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A contrast-enhanced computed tomographic scan was prospectively obtained within 72 h after admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with pleural effusions (66 = 50%) had significantly more severe morphological changes of the pancreas and necroses (independent of the size and localization of the effusions and etiology of the acute pancreatitis), more often had a pancreatic pseudocyst, and had a higher mortality rate than patients without this complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pleural effusions are indicative of severe acute pancreatitis and are a negative prognostic parameter for the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital of Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lankisch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dröge
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becher
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed