Pancreatitis, Acute
Basic Information 
Clinical Presentation
Etiology and Pathophysiology
• The pancreas is a compound gland that has important exocrine and endocrine functions. Digestion in the small intestine is partly dependent on pancreatic secretions but also on biliary secretions and mucosal enzymes. The volume of pancreatic fluid secreted by a 100-kg pony is approximately 10 to 12 L/day. Pancreatic juice contains bicarbonate ions, amylase, lipase, and peptidases. The islets of Langerhans secrete insulin, gastrin, and glucagon but account for only about 2% of the pancreas’ total weight.
• Acute pancreatitis is a rare cause of severe abdominal pain in horses. The cause is uncertain, and antemortem diagnosis is rarely made because the clinical signs mimic other gastrointestinal diseases producing acute colic (especially small intestinal strangulating obstructions and anterior enteritis). The pancreas is not easily visualized during routine surgical exploration of the abdomen and may be overlooked at necropsy, especially if gastric rupture has occurred.
• Acute pancreatitis may occur in association with adenovirus infection in Arabian foals affected by combined immunodeficiency syndrome (CID). Infection of the pancreatic duct by Cryptosporidium spp. may also occur in foals affected by CID.
• Pancreatitis is also sometimes found in association with hyperlipemia. It has been speculated that excess lipid is deposited in and around the pancreas in hyperlipemia. This lipid is subsequently hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase and released as free fatty acids. Free (unbound to albumin) fatty acids are cytotoxic, and when the albumin-binding capacity is exceeded, pancreatic vascular injury occurs, resulting in necrotizing pancreatitis.
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