Subacute pancreatic necrosis

Acute necrotising pancreatitis is the most serious form of acute pancreatit is and accounts for the majority of complications. Treatment of patients wi th pancreatic necrosis is still controversial. There is a well-established definition for acute pancreatitis and consequent pancreatic fluid collectio ns. However, it has been identified a group of patients who represent a sep arate entity and whose collections may prompt additional change from the de finition of acute pancreatitis. Imaging investigations in these patients ha ve well defined subacute collections that evolve from severe acute necrotis ing pancreatitis involving greater than 30% of the gland. Although these co llections are not completely liquefied, they do not meet criteria for pseud ocysts, however, at the same time, they are morphologically different from acute pancreatic necrosis seen during initial presentation of acute pancrea titis. It has been used to call "subacute" these collections of necrotic pa ncreatic tissue or "subacute pancreatic necrosis", The purpose of this revi ew is to summarise the subacute collections of necrotic pancreatic tissue a nd its complications, discussing treatment options of the complex pancreati c and peripancreatic collections found in these patients, focusing on the m anagement of subacute pancreatic necrosis.