Spontaneous rupture of a pancreatic pseudocyst

Description 

This is a case of a 50-year-old woman with medical history significant for chronic pancreatitis secondary to alcohol abuse who initially presented with a 3-week history of progressively worsening epigastric pain. The patient described the pain as sharp, radiating to the back, worsened with intake of both solid foods and liquids and relieved with self-induced emesis. On admission, the patient was hypertensive, but other vitals were within normal limits. The abdomen was soft; however, there is a firm palpable mass extending from the epigastric to the right and left upper quadrants. Labs were remarkable for hypokalaemia with potassium (K) 3 meq/L (normal range 3.5–4.9 meq/L), mildly elevated lipase 132 U/L (7–60 U/L) and an elevated alkaline phosphatase of 164 U/L (41–108 U/L). CT of the abdomen with contrast (figures 1 and 2) showed a large cystic structure measuring 12.9x21.2 cm directly adjacent to the body of the pancreas and...

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