Acute pancreatitis in children: an experience with 50 cases

Abstract

Background/purpose Acute pancreatitis in childhood is not common. It can be associated with severe morbidity and mortality. The role of clinical evaluation is vital as it can be misdiagnosed easily. The objective of this study was to review the etiology, presentation, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of acute pancreatitis in children and to assess the relevance of currently available prognostic criteria.
Patients and methods Fifty children with acute pancreatitis admitted to the Pediatric Surgery Unit at the Al-Azhar University Hospitals, within the period January 1998 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. They were diagnosed by clinical examination, laboratory, and radiological investigations, as well as by abdominal exploration.
Results There were 25 boys and 25 girls. The median age was 9 years (range: 2–17 years). In the majority of cases, the main cause of acute pancreatic was idiopathic (17 patients), followed by trauma (10 patients). Most of the patients presented with abdominal pain (10 cases), vomiting (nine cases), jaundice (five cases), and an abdominal mass in computed tomography (48 cases).
Conclusion Trauma is a major cause of pancreatitis in children. Early diagnosis, close monitoring, and proper intervention are mandatory to reduce the potential morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: acute pancreatitis, children, morbidity, trauma