Pancreas is increased in a child: causes, diagnosis, treatment

Why is the pancreas enlarged in a child? The causes of this pathological condition will be presented below. Also we will consider the symptoms of this disease and the methods of its treatment.

Basics

The pancreas in children and adults is the most important organ of the digestive system, which is located deep inside the abdominal cavity.

According to the experts, the pancreas consists of several types of tissues and, due to the peculiarities of the anatomical location, is characterized by rather difficult access. Therefore, it is impossible to diagnose the inflammation of this organ by palpation. In this case, to identify the presence of any problems with it, can only be based on the results of ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging.

False alarm

It should be specially noted that if the pancreas is enlarged in a child, this does not always indicate a serious pathology. The fact is that this organ has separate parts( for example, tail, body or head), the sizes of which can be non-standard due to the peculiar reaction or features of a particular organism, including a congenital anomaly that does not pose a threat to lifepatient.

It should also be noted that it is sometimes possible to erroneously diagnose a pathological condition such as an increase in the size of the body of the pancreas or its tail. To make a more accurate diagnosis, you need to undergo not only a laboratory examination, but also an instrumental one.

Increased pancreas of the child: causes of

Treatment of this abnormal phenomenon should be performed only after consultation with the doctor. It also requires the identification of the causes of this pathology.

Modern medicine knows 2 types of enlargement of the organ under consideration:

• local;
• is total.

The first species is characterized by a proportional process, while the second one shows an increase in any one part of the internal organ.

So why is the pancreas enlarged in a child? The reasons for this phenomenon are manifold. However, the most frequent of them include:

• ulcer mucous;
• closed types of injuries of organs located in the abdominal cavity;
• is a consequence of exposure to various toxins;
• autoimmune processes;
• acute or chronic inflammation;
• cystic fibrosis;
• disease of the duodenum;
• abnormal development of the pancreatic gland.

Causes of a disproportionate increase in

An increase in the head of the pancreas, its body or tail can also be caused by completely different causes. Typically, they include the following:

• the occurrence of a true or false cyst;
• tumors of various origin( may be benign or malignant);
• development of abscess and suppuration of pancreatic gland;
• replacement of some sites of glandular tissue connective;
• obstruction of the ducts of the Virginian.

Why is the pancreas enlarged in a child?

Specialists say that childhood problems associated with enlarging the pancreas gland are similar to those that affect adult people. At the same time, children at any age must be examined for the increase of this organ. This is due to the fact that over time and in the process of growing a child, he is able to grow several times. However, this increase is not always proportional and safe.

It often happens that the growth of the pancreas gland does not match the generally accepted schedules and tables, but it is proportional to all other surrounding organs.

It can not be said that pancreatic disorders are diagnosed for the first time precisely in early childhood. In this case, you should consult a pediatrician who will prescribe the appropriate treatment.

The main symptoms of

How to treat and how is inflammation of the pancreas manifested? Symptoms and treatment of this pathological condition depends on the causes of its occurrence.

Regardless of the sex and age of a person, the diseases of this organ can proceed in different ways. Very often such pathological conditions are acute. But sometimes the symptomatology is hidden, which implies carrying out a number of additional studies.

How is pancreatic inflammation manifested? Symptoms and treatment for this ailment should be identified and prescribed only by the doctor. Such a pathology is characterized by a bright and growing symptomatology.

In cystic neoplasms and various tumors, signs may appear after a while. In such cases, it is possible to correctly and quickly diagnose a diagnosis only by observing several specific symptoms, which include the following:

• multiple vomiting, unpleasant bitterness in the mouth, nausea, total absence of appetite, belching;
• painful sensations( baking, aching) of varying degrees, which can be localized at the top of the abdominal cavity and delivered to the back or arm;
• problems with stools, manifested by diarrhea without any impurities;
• body temperature jumps.

Complications of

What complications can occur if the tail of the pancreas in a child or other parts of this organ is enlarged? This pathological condition is quite dangerous, regardless of the reasons that caused them. What is the reason for this? The fact is that around the gland of the pancreas are other organs, which can easily lead to their compression. This especially applies to the gland's head, since it is its large size that can exert strong pressure on the 12-small intestine of a small child.

There have been cases when with such increases in the organ the patient developed intestinal obstruction.

Diagnosis methods

As mentioned above, the pancreatic ducts and the organ itself are deep in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, with a minor inflammatory process or any other pathologies, it is not possible to detect the presence of a particular disease by touching the patient. The exception is only those cases when the pancreas has become so large that it is determined even with normal palpation.

In connection with all of the above, it can be safely concluded that problems with this body are often diagnosed on the basis of different symptoms, which was described in this article. But, what if the clinical signs of the disease are completely absent? In this case, doctors recommend to resort to instrumental methods of research. These include ultrasound and MRI.

Despite the high cost of these methods, they allow you to immediately determine whether there is an increase in the pancreatic gland, as well as the causes of this pathological condition.

How to treat?

How can I treat this pathology if the child is a month old? Increased pancreas - should immediately consult a pediatrician. After all, only an experienced doctor will be able to determine the true cause of the development of such a pathological process, and also to reveal its threat to a small organism.

It should be specially noted that each individual case of pancreatic enlargement in infants provides for individual treatment. According to experts, such therapy can be conservative and operative.

If we talk about the general principles of treatment, they are reduced to the following scheme:

• Reduction of swelling of the pancreatic gland by applying cold compresses to the affected area.
• Obligatory compliance with a strict diet, which provides for the complete exclusion of spicy, fatty, and fried foods. Also, many specialists strongly recommend refraining from taking food for at least a few days. In some cases, physicians even introduce nutrients into the patient's body by injection( so-called parenteral nutrition).
• Maximum decrease in activity( secretory) of the organ under consideration by taking special hormones, proton pump inhibitors or histamine receptor blockers.
• Surgical intervention that is performed to remove dead tissue or inflammation.
• Additional introduction of artificial digestive enzymes for the purpose of correcting the work of the internal organ.

Compliance with the

diet

Treatment of children with large pancreatic gland size without normal and proper nutrition is impossible. As a rule, at such pathology the doctor appoints to the child a special diet No. 5. It provides for the rejection of fatty foods and other fatty components. In return, the patient should include in his diet protein products that have a beneficial effect on his body.

It should also be noted that diet number 5 implies a complete rejection of products such as:

• any kind of juices, including fresh ones;
• sweets in the form of ice cream, chocolate or jam;
• fruits and vegetables in their natural state( i.e., not thermally treated);
• dairy products with high fat content( cream, sour cream, whole milk);
• fatty broths, broths, and also cooked on their basis various dishes.

Instead of these products, the baby is better to offer:

• vegetables cooked in steamed or stewed;
• cooked and stewed meats and dishes that were made on their basis;
• black tea with a small amount of sugar;
• dairy products with a low percentage of fat content;
• baked fruit, as well as desserts based on them;
• any kinds of porridges cooked on ordinary water;
• crackers, dried bread, biscuit biscuits.

Other methods of treatment

It should be specially noted that there are cases when it is not advisable to use only one diet alone, and also ineffective for different groups of children( for example, with neoplastic processes in the child's body).With this diagnosis, no diet, as well as a strict diet, will affect the growth rate of the tumor in the pancreas gland. The only way to treat this disease is to remove the affected area surgically.

With the development of acute pancreatitis, the diet is also powerless. That is why with such diseases it is very important to turn to the pediatrician in time, and not to engage in self-medication, which, by the way, can easily lead to disastrous consequences.