D) Trauma
The two most common causes of pancreatitis in young children in terms of broad categories are idiopathic and trauma. Other common causes are anatomic anomalies of the pancreaticobiliary system, toxins and drugs (but scorpion bites are a rare cause), and infections (including HIV but also CMV, mumps, rubella, coxsackie B, and others). Cholelithiasis and alcohol abuse are common causes in adults (and with rising obesity rates cholelithiasis is increasingly seen in teens) but not in young children. Unexplained pancreatitis in a young child should prompt consideration of non-accidental trauma.
June 4, 2025 at 2:00 pm
D) Trauma
The two most common causes of pancreatitis in young children in terms of broad categories are idiopathic and trauma. Other common causes are anatomic anomalies of the pancreaticobiliary system, toxins and drugs (but scorpion bites are a rare cause), and infections (including HIV but also CMV, mumps, rubella, coxsackie B, and others). Cholelithiasis and alcohol abuse are common causes in adults (and with rising obesity rates cholelithiasis is increasingly seen in teens) but not in young children. Unexplained pancreatitis in a young child should prompt consideration of non-accidental trauma.