Radiology Coding Alert

Pancreatitis is an inflammation in the pancreatic tissues. “When the pancreas is inflamed, the enzymes inside it attack and damage the tissues that produce them,” says Christy Hembree, CPC, Team Leader, Summit Radiology Services, Cartersville, GA. Under physiological conditions, these enzymes are activated in the small intestines. Pancreatitis may span for days to a few weeks when it is called acute pancreatitis or over few years, when it is called chronic pancreatitis. “Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Either form is serious and can lead to complications,” Hembree says.

There are many causes of pancreatitis. Alcohol is the most common cause for chronic pancreatitis and gall stones are the most common cause for acute pancreatitis. Besides this, pancreatitis can develop as an adverse effect of administration of certain drugs. Other causes for pancreatitis include trauma, viral infections, autoimmune diseases, upper GI endoscopic procedures, and some congenital conditions.