Objectives: To determine the prevalence and determinants of acute pancreatitis in patients with acute brucellosis.
Methods: Adult patients with brucellosis were retrospectively recruited. Brucellosis and acute pancreatitis were diagnosed according to standard criteria. Laboratory analyses included Wright agglutination titre, serum biochemical parameters and blood count.
Results: Patients with acute pancreatitis (n = 21) had significantly higher Wright agglutination titres, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, amylase, lipase and serum glucose concentrations, and significantly lower haemoglobin concentrations and haematocrit than patients with brucellosis alone (n = 326).
Conclusions: Hyperglycaemia, anaemia, and liver transaminase and cholestatic enzyme concentrations may represent new approaches for assessing disease severity in patients with brucellosis and acute pancreatitis.
Keywords: Gastroenterology; internal medicine; pancreatitis.
© The Author(s) 2015.