Presentation
Pricking upper abdominal pain, radiating to chest and back, worsening on movement/lying down.
Patient Data
Edematous pancreas, especially uncinate process, head, and neck, with fluid tracking between lobules. Extensive peripancreatic fluid collection. Reactive wall edema in duodenum surrounding the pancreatic head. A small amount of free intraperitoneal fluid in the lower abdomen.
Case Discussion
Amylase 114 IU/L (normal 28-100 IU/L), lipase 224 U/L (normal 13-60 U/L), cholesterol 501 mg/dL (normal 120-200 mg/dL), triglycerides 5489 mg/dL (normal 50-150 mg/dL).
Hypertriglyceridemia treated urgently with plasmapheresis.
Hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis comprises 7% of cases of pancreatitis and is considered the third most common cause of pancreatitis after gallstones and alcohol 1.