Microcirculation injury in acute pancreatitis: progress in imaging and related basic researches

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the common acute abdominal diseases, and has achieved considerable progress in the research in recent years. Because the pancreas microcirculation dysfunction is highly related to AP pathophysiological process, participating in the occurrence of AP and development process, it is essential to detecte early microcirculation damage for evaluating illness severity, assessment of prognosis and the selection of treatment plan. In this article we reviewed the pancreatic microcirculation anatomical features, microcirculation damage performance in AP and its detection methods, and the role of imaging in detecting microcirculation dysfunction. (authors)