Diagnostic Utility of Serum Lipase in Acute Pancreatitis

Investigators from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center conducted a prospective cohort study in children with acute pancreatitis (AP) to determine the sensitivity of laboratory and imaging findings in the diagnosis of AP. Children <21 years old with AP diagnosed at the study hospital between 2013 and 2016 were eligible. Diagnosis of AP was based on the presence of ≥2 of the following criteria: (a) clinical: symptoms of AP, including pain consistent with a pancreatic origin, vomiting, fussiness, and/or feeding intolerance; (b) laboratory: a serum amylase or lipase level ≥3 times the upper limit of normal; and (c) imaging: ultrasonography, CT, or MRI results consistent with AP, including pancreatic edema or hypoenhancement, peripancreatic edema, and pancreatic or peripancreatic necrosis. All imaging was retrospectively blindly reviewed by a study radiologist to confirm findings of AP. …