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[Unusual presentation of hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis in a child]

M Boutbaoucht1, Y Mouaffak, M-O Dilai

  • 1Service d'anesthésie réanimation pédiatrique, hôpital Mère-Enfant, CHU Mohammed VI, rue Ibn Sina, 40000 Marrakech, Maroc. boutbaoucht@gmail.com

Archives De Pediatrie : Organe Officiel De La Societe Francaise De Pediatrie
|January 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Acute pancreatitis in children is rare. Severe hypertriglyceridemia can cause it, but initial triglyceride levels may mislead; repeat testing is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Acute pancreatitis is uncommon in children, presenting diverse clinical, biological, and etiological features.
  • Abdominal pain in children warrants consideration of acute pancreatitis in differential diagnoses.

Observation:

  • A 6-year-old child presented with symptoms necessitating surgery for intestinal obstruction.
  • Initial diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was established during surgical exploration.
  • Early laboratory tests revealed hyperlipasemia and mild hypertriglyceridemia.

Findings:

  • Severe hypertriglyceridemia was identified after two weeks of hospitalization and deemed the cause of acute pancreatitis.
  • Initial blood triglyceride concentrations can be misleading in diagnosing pancreatitis.
  • Repeated triglyceride assays post-acute episode are essential for accurate assessment.

Implications:

  • Hypertriglyceridemia is a rare but significant cause of pediatric acute pancreatitis.
  • Timely detection of hypertriglyceridemia is critical for initiating specific, necessary treatments.
  • This case highlights the importance of serial triglyceride monitoring in pediatric abdominal pain evaluations.

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