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An unexpected cause of pleural effusion in paediatric emergency medicine
Seda Ozbek1, Meltem Gumus, Hasan Ali Yuksekkaya
1Department of Radiology, Selcuk University Medical Faculty, Konya, Turkey. dsadr@hotmail.com
Insights
Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis causing recurrent pleural effusion. Early diagnosis using multidetector CT is crucial for timely treatment in children presenting with respiratory symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
Background:
- Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is an infrequent complication of chronic pancreatitis.
- PPF often presents with respiratory symptoms, leading to diagnostic and therapeutic delays.
Abstract:
Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is an uncommon complication of chronic pancreatitis leading to a large and recurrent pleural effusion. Since the patients presented predominantly with respiratory symptoms, diagnosis and treatment were often delayed. We describe a child who was admitted to our paediatric emergency department with an acute onset of dyspnoea and unilateral massive pleural effusion caused by PPF. Multidetector CT is an easily accessible method that is able to show both the thoracic and abdominal findings non-invasively. The clinical and imaging features of this unusual entity are discussed.
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