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CLINICAL PRESENTATION, AETIOLOGY AND COMPLICATIONS OF PANCREATITIS IN CHILDREN
Insights
Childhood pancreatitis presents with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Idiopathic causes, choledochal cysts, and trauma are common, leading to complications like pseudocysts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Nutrition
Background:
- Childhood pancreatitis is a serious condition with increasing incidence.
- It can manifest as acute or chronic pancreatitis, characterized by epigastric pain, vomiting, and elevated serum amylase and lipase levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the clinical presentation, etiology, and complications of pancreatitis in children.
- Investigate the characteristics of pediatric pancreatitis cases.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive case series was conducted involving 72 patients under 15 years old.
- Inclusion criteria included abdominal pain, elevated amylase/lipase, and imaging features of pancreatitis.
- Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS-20.
Main Results:
- Acute pancreatitis affected 60% of patients, while chronic pancreatitis affected 40%.
- Abdominal pain (100%), nausea, and vomiting (79%) were common symptoms.
- Idiopathic causes (40%), choledochal cysts (8%), hyperlipidemia (7%), biliary stones/sludge (7%), and trauma (6%) were identified etiologies.
- Complications, such as pseudocysts (36%), ascites (17%), and pleural effusion (4%), were more frequent in acute pancreatitis.
Conclusions:
- Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are key presenting features of childhood pancreatitis.
- Common etiologies include idiopathic factors, choledochal cysts, hyperlipidemia, biliary issues, and trauma.
- Pseudocysts, ascites, and pleural effusions are significant complications.
Background:
Childhood Pancreatitis is an uncommon but serious condition with incidence on the rise. It manifests as acute or chronic form with epigastric pain, vomiting and elevated serum -amylase and lipase. This study was conducted with the aim to determine the clinical presentation, aetiology, and complications of pancreatitis in children.
Methods:
This descriptive case series was conducted in the Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital & the Institute of Child Health, Lahore from 1st January to 31st December 2014. Seventy-two patients up to the age of 15 years having abdominal pain, Amylase >200 IU/L and/or lipase >165 IU/L, with features of acute or chronic pancreatitis on abdominal imaging; were included in study. Data analysis was done using SPSS-20.
Results:
Of the total 72 patients, 43 (60%) had acute pancreatitis, males were 25 (58%) and females 18 (42%) and chronic pancreatitis was diagnosed in 29 (40%), males 10 (34%) and females 19 (66%). Common clinical features were abdominal pain (100%), nausea and vomiting (79%). Common aetiologies were idiopathic (40%) while choledochal cyst 8%, hyperlipidaemia 7%, biliary tract stones/sludge 7% and abdominal trauma 6%. Complications were more frequently associated with acute pancreatitis (60%) than with chronic pancreatitis (34%). Common complications were pseudo-pancreatic cyst (36%), ascites (17%) and pleural effusion (4%).
Conclusion:
Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting were common presenting features of childhood pancreatitis. Common aetiologies were idiopathic hyperlipidemia, biliary tract stones/sludge, choledochal cyst and abdominal trauma. Common complications were Pseudo-pancreatic cyst, ascites and pleural effusion.
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