Childhood Pancreatitis: A Case Series

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is relatively rare in children. Published local data on childhood pancreatitis is even vanishingly scarce. Our intent is to evaluate the demography, aetiology, clinical course, and complications of children with acute pancreatitis. Materials and Methods: A singlecentre, retrospective review of patients aged 12 years or younger, admitted between January 2016 to February 2018 with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis performed. Demographic data, aetiology, and serum amylase on admission were collected. DeBanto score for assessment of severity was calculated (at admission and at 48H) and patients’ clinical outcome was assessed. Results: A total of eight patients, aged between 3 to 12 years (median 8.0 years) were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Malays made up the majority (50%) but the Orang Asli is over-represented at 37.5%. Most were idiopathic (50%), but 25% of pancreatitis were caused by helminths. All patients presented with abdominal pain as the primary complaint. Most of them followed a mild course of disease; all but one patient had a DeBanto score of <3. Mean length of stay was 5 days, and two patients went on to develop complications (pancreatic pseudocyst and recurrent pancreatitis). Conclusion: Acute pancreatitis remains an important diagnosis for children presenting with abdominal pain. In addition to commonly described aetiologies, helminthic infestation is an important cause of acute pancreatitis, especially among rural communities in the state of Pahang.