Abstract： By systematically reviewing relevant literature， this paper summarizes the application overview of external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in acute pancreatitis， the application and mechanism of specific external therapies including acupuncture and moxibustion， Chinese medicine external application， and Chinese medicine enema， as well as their combined application and individualized treatment. The results show that external TCM therapies such as acupuncture and moxibustion， Chinese medicine external application， and Chinese medicine enema can effectively relieve symptoms including abdominal pain and abdominal distension， promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function，reduce systemic inflammatory response，shorten hospital stay，and exhibit high safety. Their mechanisms involve regulating neural function， inhibiting inflammatory factors， repairing intestinal mucosal barrier， and regulating qi and blood by stimulating acupoints. It can be seen that external TCM therapy can improve the clinical efficacy of acute pancreatitis. However，current studies on its mechanism are not in-depth. In the future，more in-depth mechanism research is needed in combination with modern medicine to promote the international development of TCM in this field.