Primary Gas Gangrene of the Pancreas: Report of a Case

Spontaneous gas gangrene of the pancreas, caused by an infection of Clostridium perfringens , is an extremely rare but severe form of acute pancreatitis. A 67-year-old man complaining of severe epigastric pain with diffuse guarding underwent an emergency laparotomy. During surgery, hemorrhagic pancreatic necrosis was observed with a large amount of peripancreatic gas. Cultures demonstrated C. perfringens . The identification of hemolysis and the accumulation of peripancreatic gas on computed tomography, which were both caused by an infection of C. perfringens , led us to make a diagnosis of clostridial infection of the pancreas.