Acute Pediatric Pancreatitis Presenting with Splenic Vein Thrombosis

Acute pancreatitis among the pediatric population can result from genetic disorders, anatomic anomalies, gallstones, trauma, and medications; trauma and idiopathic causes being the most common. Although chronic pancreatitis presents with increased severe long-term complications, acute pancreatitis presents with its share of complications such as fistulas, pseudocysts, and venous abnormalities. With an increase in hospitalization rates of acute pancreatitis among the pediatric population, the importance of understanding rare complications and how to further recognize these complications can aid in the diagnosis, medical management, and intervention necessary to optimize a patient's outcome. Our patient presented with a rare complication of splenic vein thrombosis (SVT), which is a complication that can also be observed in adults with acute pancreatitis. SVTs are uncommon in both the adult and pediatric populations, and they have received little attention or research in the pediatric population. We report a case that will highlight a rare case of SVT presenting in a pediatric patient with acute necrotizing gallstone pancreatitis.