Computed Tomography Assessment of Severity of Acute Pancreatitis in Bangladeshi Children

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is common among children in Bangladesh. Its management depends mainly on risk stratification. This study aimed to assess the severity of pediatric AP using computed tomography (CT). This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in pediatric patients with AP at the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Altogether, 25 patients with AP were included, of whom 18 (mean age, 10.27±4.0 years) were diagnosed with mild AP, and 7 (mean age, 10.54±4.0 years) with severe AP. Abdominal pain was present in all the patients, and vomiting was present in 88% of the patients. Etiology was not determined. No significant differences in serum lipase, serum amylase, BUN, and CRP levels were observed between the mild and severe AP groups. Total and platelet counts as well as hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum creatinine, random blood sugar, and serum alanine aminotransferase levels ( >0.05) were significantly higher in the mild AP group than in the severe AP group ( =0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CT severity index (CTSI) were 71.4%, 72.2%, 50%, and 86.7%, respectively. In addition, significant differences in pancreatic appearance and necrosis were observed between the two groups on CT. CT can be used to assess the severity of AP. In the present study, the CTSI effectively assessed the severity of AP in pediatric patients.