Obstructive jaundice secondary to pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a seven-year-old male

Pancreatic carcinoma in childhood is a rare cause of obstructive jaundice. This report deals with such a case in a seven-year-old boy, which was successfully treated with a pancreatoduodenectomy. A brief review of the literature reveals that children will tolerate radical pancreatic resections, including pancreatoduodenectomy, better than adults. The only hope of long-term survival rests with aggressive surgical treatment. Pancreatoduodenectomy in infants and children can be done with a low mortality (9%) and for a mean survival of greater than four years (median two years).