Pancreatitis agudanuestra experiencia

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is an unusual disorder in childhood that commonly onsets with sudden abdominal pain. Our goal is to describe the features of the patients diagnosed of acute pancreatitis between 1988 and 2008 who were admitted to our hospital. Methods: Retrospective observational study by review of medical records. We collected data referred to epidemiology, aetiology, clinical symptoms, analytical (amylase, lipase) and radiological findings, medical treatment administered and outcome. Results: We included 27 patients (66% males), with a mean age of 7.2 years (range: 6 months-16 years). 52% of them suffered from chronic diseases. The most common cause was a structural anomaly (37%). Other aetiologies included: drugs, infections, shock and immunodeficiencies. 26% of cases were catalogued as idiopatic. The presenting symptom in non-critical patients was abdominal pain, in different areas and with diverse features, associated with vomiting (55%), fever (33%), anorexia (19%) and other symptoms related to the aetiological agent. Pancreatic enzyme levels were elevated in all patients. The most widely used radiological test was ecography (abnormal in 74%), being the most common image the enlargement of the gland. 89% of patients were managed conservatively with complete bowel rest during a median of 48 hours. ERCP was indicated in 2 patients to treat coledocolitiasis. Median hospital stay was 9 days, with favourable outcome in 40% of patients. Recurrence was described in 3 patients and 6 died because of non-digestive causes. Conclusions: Acute pancreatitis is an unusual disease in childhood with a great variety of aetiological factors that determine different prognosis.