Prevalence of Pancreatitis in Female and Male Pediatric Patients in Eastern Kentucky in the United States.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Studies in the past decade report worldwide increase of pediatric pancreatitis. The present study focuses on aUnited States region where the first genes associated with hereditary pancreatitis were identified. Aim of the study was to investigate incidences of acute pancreatitis, recurrent acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancreatitis, collecting demographics, etiologies, and comorbid conditions using charted ICD-9-CM codes.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review was performed on de-identified patient records of hospitalizations at University of Kentucky hospitals between 2005 and 2013.

RESULTS

Of 234 children diagnosed during the 9 year time period, 69.2% (n=162) had a single episode of acute, 27.8% (65) recurrent acute, and 16.2% (38) chronic pancreatitis. Surprisingly, the annual incidence for first time diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was significantly higher for female patients (16.1, 95% CI: 13.5-18.7 per 100,000, P<0.005) compared to males (9.1, 95% CI: 6.8-11.4). Comorbid conditions varied widely depending on patients' age. Between 33.3-46.2% presented with digestive system symptoms, 12.8-26.3% with diseases of stomach and duodenum, and 10.6-31.6% with systemic diseases. Biliary disease was the most common etiology for single acute (28.4% of cases) and recurrent acute pancreatitis (16.9% of cases). Nineteen of 65 patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis developed chronic pancreatitis (29.2%), while only 3 of 162 with a single bout of acute pancreatitis returned with chronic pancreatitis (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings identify a prevalent disease progression from recurrent acute pancreatitis to chronic pancreatitis in the Kentucky pediatric patient population that could be due to hereditary predisposition and other geographically relevant health factors.