Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Debridement and Drainage for Pancreatic Abscess
Published on: March 15, 2024
Acute pancreatitis in children: 10-year experience in a medical center
Chiu-Fen Chen1, Man-Shan Kong, Ming-Wei Lai
1Department of Pediatrics, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.
Insights
Acute pancreatitis in children has diverse causes and presentations. While most children recover with conservative care, complications like pseudocysts can occur, with CT scans being more sensitive for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Acute pancreatitis is rare in children, differing from adult presentations.
- Understanding pediatric pancreatitis is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the causes, clinical features, diagnostic imaging, and outcomes of acute pancreatitis in pediatric patients.
- To identify risk factors for complications and recurrence in children with pancreatitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for pediatric patients diagnosed with pancreatitis between July 1992 and July 2002.
- Diagnosis confirmed by clinical symptoms, elevated pancreatic enzymes (≥3-fold), and imaging findings.
Main Results:
- 75 patients experienced 96 pancreatitis episodes; common causes included idiopathic (26.7%), systemic diseases (22.7%), biliary tract disease (21.3%), and trauma (16%).
- Abdominal pain (93.8%) and vomiting (64.2%) were frequent symptoms. Computed tomography (CT) showed higher sensitivity (74.4%) than ultrasonography (US) (57.3%).
- Morbidity included pseudocysts (6) and recurrent pancreatitis (16). Hyperlipidemia and biliary disorders correlated with recurrence. Mortality was 5.3%, primarily in patients with comorbidities.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric acute pancreatitis has varied etiologies and presentations.
- CT is superior to US for diagnosing pancreatitis in children. Traumatic pancreatitis increases pseudocyst risk, while hyperlipidemia is linked to recurrence.
- The prognosis is generally good, with most patients recovering. Fatal outcomes are associated with underlying medical conditions.
Background:
Acute pancreatitis is uncommon in children compared with adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the etiologies, clinical presentations, image findings and outcome of children's acute pancreatitis.
Methods:
The medical records of children and adolescent patients admitted due to pancreatitis from July 1992 to July 2002 were reviewed. The diagnosis of pancreatitis was based on clinical symptoms, at least threefold elevation of serum pancreatic enzymes, and image findings.
Results:
This study comprised 75 patients with 96 episodes of pancreatitis. There were 36 males and 39 females, with a mean age of 10 years. The leading etiologies were idiopathic (26.7%), systemic diseases (22.7%), biliary tract disease (21.3%), and trauma (16%). Common initial manifestations included abdominal pain (93.8%), vomiting (64.2%), and fever (33.3%). The sensitivities of ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) in detecting pancreatitis were 57.3% and 74.4%, respectively. The morbidity included 6 pseudocysts and 16 repeated pancreatitis. Four pseudocysts were resulted from traumatic pancreatitis. Patients with hyperlipidemia and biliary tract disorder were more likely to have repeated attacks. Fifty-five (73.3%) patients recovered after conservative management, the remaining 20 (26.7%) patients needed surgical or other interventional treatment. The mortality rate was 5.3%. Three fatal cases (75%) had underlying medical diseases.
Conclusions:
The etiologies of acute pancreatitis are diverse. Abdominal CT is more sensitive than US in the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Pseudocysts are more likely to occur in patients with traumatic pancreatitis. Patients with hyperlipidemia are prone to recurrent pancreatitis. The prognosis of children's pancreatitis is good. Most patients with fatal outcome had coexistent medical diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Acute Pancreatitis II: Clinical Manifestations and Management
01:25Acute Pancreatitis I: Introduction
01:27Acute Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Acute pancreatitis is characterized by rapid inflammation of the pancreas, often caused by factors like gallstone blockage or excessive alcohol consumption. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a slow, progressive inflammation that may result from long-term alcohol abuse, obstructions in the pancreatic duct, or genetic factors.
The causes of acute pancreatitis include:
01:25Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
01:24Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...
01:29Chronic Pancreatitis II: Collaborative Care
Assessment: