Abstract
Acute pancreatitis is a common condition (thought to be increasing in incidence worldwide), which has a highly variable clinical course. The radiologist plays a key role in the management of such patients, from diagnosis and staging to identification and treatment of complications, as well as in determining the underlying aetiology. The aim of this article is (i) to familiarize the reader with the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis, the appearances of the various stages of pancreatitis, the evidence for the use of staging classifications and the associated complications and (ii) to review current thoughts on optimising therapy.