Acute necrotizing pancreatitis in children.
Aileen Raizner1, Uma Padhye Phatak, Kenneth Baker
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 30, 2012
Summary
Acute necrotizing pancreatitis in children has varied causes, including medications and gallstones. While serious complications can occur, intensive medical management without surgery leads to recovery, though late issues may arise.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Pancreatology
Background:
- Acute necrotizing pancreatitis is a severe condition in children.
- Understanding its etiology, clinical course, and outcomes is crucial for management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the etiologic factors, clinical course, and outcomes of acute necrotizing pancreatitis in pediatric patients.
- To evaluate the utility of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing and assessing the severity of necrotizing pancreatitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of children diagnosed with necrotizing pancreatitis over 21 years.
- Diagnosis and severity assessment using computed tomography (CT) criteria.
- Chart review for demographics, etiology, hospital course, complications, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Seven pediatric patients (mean age 11.6 years) experienced necrotizing pancreatitis.
- Etiologies included medications, diabetes, and gallstones; all required prolonged hospitalization with intensive care admissions.
- Patients developed multisystem complications, but all recovered with supportive medical therapy; none required surgery.
- Late complications included pseudocysts, hyperglycemia, diabetes, and exocrine insufficiency; CT severity index correlated with complication risk.
Conclusions:
- Acute necrotizing pancreatitis in children presents with diverse etiologies.
- CT imaging is valuable for diagnosis and severity assessment.
- Necrotizing pancreatitis in children is linked to significant acute and late complications, necessitating intensive medical care.
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