Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition with a variable clinical course. Its diagnosis involves a combination of clinical assessment, laboratory tests and imaging studies. Disease severity can be determined using clinical scoring systems or radiological evaluations such as the Computed Tomography Severity Index. While most cases of acute pancreatitis have a mild course, a subset of patients experience complications at both local and systemic levels. Conservative management is typically employed, but interventions are warranted in the presence of common bile duct stones or local complications such as walled-off necrosis or pseudocyst formation. This review provides recent insights into the pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies for acute pancreatitis, with a particular focus on the management of local complications.