Chronic pancreatitis in children: treat like an adult?

BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Nov 21;12(11):e231714. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2019-231714.

Abstract

A 15-year-old boy with a medical background of obesity, familial hyperlipidemia and acute recurrent pancreatitis, presented to emergency department reporting a 3-day course of periumbilical abdominal pain and nausea. Pain was noticed on epigastric palpation. Laboratory evaluation revealed leucocytosis, neutrophilia and pancreatic enzymes elevation more than three times the upper limit of normal. An acute recurrence of pancreatitis was diagnosed, was admitted to the hospital, being discharged after 5 days. Four days after, he was readmitted because of symptoms recurrence. Elevation of transaminases, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and direct bilirubin were noticed. Pancreatic enzymes still elevated but lower than in the previous episode. An endoscopic ultrasound revealed a Wirsung with a cephalic stricture and diffuse structural abnormalities suggestive of chronic pancreatitis. The patients was submitted to endotherapy with several sessions of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography including stenting and pancreatoscopy with marked clinical and imaging improvement. A genetic variant was identified.

Keywords: endoscopy; interventional radiology; pancreas and biliary tract; pancreatitis; ultrasonography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / etiology
  • Adolescent
  • Calculi / diagnostic imaging
  • Calculi / therapy
  • Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde
  • Constriction, Pathologic / therapy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Endosonography
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nausea / etiology
  • Pancreatic Ducts / diagnostic imaging
  • Pancreatic Ducts / pathology
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / therapy*
  • Recurrence
  • Stents