Abdominal pain without bruising or sign of trauma: pancreatic injuries in children is difficult to predict

Abstract

Pancreatic injuries due to trauma in children are rare. An early diagnosis is difficult as the signs and symptoms are insidious, but delays in diagnosis can lead to significant complications. We report a case of a child who visited the emergency department with aggravating abdominal pain. The physicians first diagnosed the abdominal pain as being caused by a disease in the emergency department, but the patient was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic injury. Clinicians should be aware of a possible trauma in children who complain of vague abdominal pain even in the absence of corresponding history.

Keywords

• abdominal pain
• amylases
• child
• emergencies
• lipase
• pancreas
• pancreatic pseudocyst