Fibrosing pancreatitis--an obscure causes of painless obstructive jaundice: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a 3-year-old asymptomatic patient who had obstructive jaundice. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram showed total obstruction of the distal common bile duct. At laparotomy, fibrosing pancreatitis was found. Sphincteroplasty and choledochoduodenostomy relieved his symptoms. A review of the literature disclosed ten patients, nine of whom had abdominal pain. Fibrosing pancreatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of obstructive jaundice in children, even in the absence of abdominal pain.