Pancreatic ischaemic lesions without fat necrosis associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation.

We examined the primary ischaemic changes in the pancreas in 35 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation. In 7 (20%), multiple patchy lesions composed of degenerative acinar cells indicating coagulation necrosis were noted. None of these lesions was accompanied by fat necrosis. The patchy lesions involved the islets of Langerhans in only 1 case. The interlobular arteries of the pancreas near these lesions contained fibrin thrombi in all 7 cases. We suggest that these lesions, without fat necrosis, are the distinctive ischaemic change associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation.