Transient pancreatic hiatal herniation causing acute pancreatitis--a literature review.

Acute pancreatitis is a common cause for hospitalization; in the majority of cases, there is an identifiable etiology. However, a significant number of cases remain idiopathic. Herniation of the pancreas through a diaphragmatic hiatal hernia is an extremely rare condition reported in only five cases in the English literature. Herein, we provide a review of this topic, which includes our experience with a case of documented transient pancreatic herniation causing acute pancreatitis.