Acute pancreatitis following paediatric maxillofacial surgery under general anaesthesia: a rare postoperative...

Acute pancreatitis is a rare postoperative complication in children, particularly following non-abdominal surgery. Its occurrence after paediatric oral and maxillofacial procedures performed under general anaesthesia is exceedingly uncommon and can be easily overlooked due to non-specific clinical manifestations. We report the case of a boy in early childhood who underwent uneventful marsupialisation of a mandibular odontogenic cyst with extraction of multiple deciduous teeth under total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol. Within hours of surgery, he developed diffuse abdominal pain. Laboratory investigations revealed markedly elevated serum amylase and lipase levels, while abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated a bulky, hypoechoic pancreas with peripancreatic fluid, confirming acute pancreatitis. The case was classified as mild acute pancreatitis per the revised Atlanta Classification. The child was managed conservatively with bowel rest, intravenous fluids, antibiotics and analgesia under multidisciplinary supervision. His symptoms resolved completely and follow-up imaging at 1 month showed full recovery. This case highlights the importance of considering acute pancreatitis in the differential diagnosis of unexplained postoperative abdominal pain in children undergoing maxillofacial surgery and emphasises that early recognition and supportive care are key to achieving favourable outcomes.