Introduction:

Acute pancreatitis is considered an inflammatory process of the pancreas, which results from the activation of digestive enzymes released by this gland. This pathological entity is associated with multiple etiologies.

Case:

37-year-old male with hypogastrium pain irradiated to the back. On physical examination, the patient was tachycardic, hypertensive, with abdominal pain on deep palpation without signs of peritoneal irritation. Laboratory tests showed an elevation of acute phase reactants and pancreatic amylase, and imaging studies showed signs of acute pancreatitis.

Discussion:

Pancreatitis associated with hypertriglyceridemia occurs in 0.5 to 1% of cases. The initial management triad is a clear liquid diet, intravenous hydration, and analgesics. Hypertriglyceridemia can be managed with oral hypolipidemic drugs. When levels are higher than 1 000 mg/dL, plasma exchange can be used due to its good effectiveness, decreasing the values to normal ranges in 80% of the cases with the first session.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español | Inglés     · Español ( pdf ) | Inglés ( pdf )