Chronic Pancreatitis with Portal Venous Thrombosis in a Child: Difficult Scenario for Surgery
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Chronic pancreatitis in children is uncommon but may be complicated by portal vein (PV) thrombosis and extrahepatic portal hypertension (EPH). This association poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a 12-year-old boy with chronic calcific pancreatitis complicated by EPH secondary to PV thrombosis. He presented with recurrent abdominal pain, nonbilious vomiting, hypersplenism, and variceal bleeding. Imaging revealed a portal cavernoma with thrombosed PV, dilated splenic vein, atrophic pancreas, and ductal calculi. The patient underwent splenectomy with proximal splenorenal shunt and lateral pancreaticojejunostomy in a single sitting. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. At 8 months follow-up, the shunt remained patent, and the patient was asymptomatic apart from one self-limiting pain episode. Recurrent pancreatitis with EPH in children is rare. A multidisciplinary, individualized approach with careful preoperative optimization and tailored surgery can achieve good outcomes.
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7129164444