Introduction: We report on a 53-year-old male with a past medical history significant for chronic pancreatitis who presented with a right-sided pleural effusion secondary to pancreaticopleural fistula with pancreatic divisum. Pleural effusion secondary to pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare complication of acute or chronic pancreatitis and usually presents with a left-sided pleural effusion. This case also highlights the difficulty and significant delay in diagnosing pancreas divisum on cross-sectional imaging.
Case Description/Methods: A 53-year-old male with a medical history significant for chronic pancreatitis complicated by pancreatic ascites, walled-off necrosis, splenic and portal vein thrombosis, alcoholic gastritis, and polysubstance use presented with five days of dyspnea with new and worsening oxygen requirements. Chest x-ray showed a new moderate right-sided pleural effusion. Pleural fluid analysis revealed elevated lipase of >3,000 U/L and amylase of 21,008 U/L concerning for a pancreaticopleural fistula. MRI of pancreas showed a disconnected duct at the tail of the pancreas with a fistula extending into the mediastinum and peritoneum. During ERCP a bulging minor papilla was noted. After failed initial attempts at cannulating ventral duct, minor papilla was approached and dorsal duct was cannulated. Pancreatogram revealed a complete pancreatic divisum with a leak in the tail of the pancreas. A temporary plastic stent was placed in the dorsal duct after minor papilla sphincterotomy. The patient's symptoms resolved and he was discharged home with outpatient follow-up.
Discussion: PPF is a rare complication of pancreatitis that typically presents as large, recurrent, left-sided pleural effusion often refractory to thoracentesis management. Transpapillary stent placement in the pancreatic duct is widely used in the management of PPF. Our case shows a rare right-sided presentation of PPF in the setting of a newly diagnosed pancreas divisum missed on numerous previous cross-sectional imaging. High clinical suspicion of underlying divisum raised by endoscopic and imaging findings led to successful endoscopic management of this complex case.
