Acute Haemorrhgic Pancreatitis in HIV Positive Patients

Abstract

We present two cases of severe acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis¹΄², in otherwise healthy adults who were HIV positive. Acute pancreatitis is not known to be common in the African communities but the incidence is on the increase¹. Both of them scored between 5 and 6 points on the Ransom scale³. One of them died despite similar aggressive resuscitation, adequate transfusion with fresh frozen plasma⁴΄⁵ and peritoneal lavage⁶΄⁷΄⁸. Though Steinberg and Tenner² had shown a higher incidence (4-22%) of acute pancreatitis among patients with the equired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in some populations, we were not aware of any observation in literature that same is true in otherwise healthy patients who are HIV positive. We are posting that what we have observed may indeed be human immune deficiency viral haemorrhagic pancreatitis. A prospective study of patients with acute pancreatitis will determine the position.