The authors evaluated retrospectively CT scans in 40 patients with acute pancreatitis and focused their attention on the incidence of vascular complications. At least one vascular complication was revealed in 9 patients (22.2%). Thrombosis of the portal vein was found in 2 cases (5%), thrombosis of the lienal vein in 7 cases (17.5%) and thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein in 4 patients (10%). Stenosis of the lienal vein and compression with dislocation of the portal vein were recorded in one case each. Neither thrombosis of the vena cava inferior nor arterial complications were observed. Organ changes were unequivocally differentiable only on the spleen and thrombosis of the lienal vein, in 2 instances (5%) multiple venous infarctions of the spleen were involved and in one instance (2.2%) an intraparenchymal haematoma with rupture of the spleen with haemoperitoneum. Conclusion: Vascular complications, in particular venous ones, are relatively frequent complications of acute pancreatitis.

        Key words: pancreatitis – thrombosis – v. lienalis – v. mesenterica superior – v. portae – CT