[Pancreatic pseudocyst. Review of 22 cases].

The management of 22 children with pseudocyst of the pancreas presenting over a 15-year period at three pediatric Hospitals is reviewed. The mean age of patients was 7 years being more common in boys (17:5). Ninety one per cent were due to trauma, while in 9% the cause was unknown. Vomiting (81.8%), abdominal pain (77.2%), a mass (72.7%), fever (31.8%) and anorexia (31.8%) were the most frequent findings. The diagnosis was confirmed by finding hyperamylasemia (elevated in 72.7% of cases), by barium meal and ultrasound. Operative treatment included external drainage in 4 children, cystgastrostomy in 9, cystjejunostomy in 6, and excision in 1. One patient was successfully managed nonoperatively and another had spontaneous gastric drainage. There were no deaths or significative complications in this series.