Abstract

There are various causes of acute pancreatitis, and accurately determining the etiology is pivotal for selecting appropriate management. Other hidden causes, such as congenital anomaly, should be considered in patients with recurrent abdominal pain or unexplained recurrent pancreatitis. A santorinicele is a focal cystic dilatation of the terminal dorsal pancreatic duct, and this is usually associated with pancreas divisum and it is a risk factor for acute pancreatitis due to the accompanying relative stenosis of the minor papilla. We present here the case of a patient who was treated for acute pancreatitis that was presumably was caused by either Rifampin or Brucellosis, and the patient recovered with conservative management. However, we eventually diagnosed pancreas divisum with santorinicele by performing MRCP and ERCP after the pancreatitis had relapsed. We report here on a case of successful endoscopic treatment for pancreas divisum with santorinicele as a cause of recurrent pancreatitis, and this was initially confused with drug or infection related pancreatitis. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2009; 40:139-143)

• Keywords: Santorinicele, Pancreas divisum, Acute pancreatitis