Pravastatin: a potential cause for acute pancreatitis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Drug-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) accounts for 0.3%–2.0% of all AP cases.
• Statins are a rare cause of drug-induced AP, with only 12 previous reports.

Observation:

• A 50-year-old female developed AP symptoms within 3 days of starting pravastatin.
• Standard etiological factors for AP were ruled out.
• The patient required intensive care unit admission due to respiratory distress but recovered.

Findings:

• This case report details a rare instance of pravastatin-induced AP.
• The patient's presentation and exclusion of other causes strongly suggest a drug-induced etiology.

Implications:

• Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for drug-induced AP in cases with unknown etiology.
• Awareness of the association between statins and AP is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
• Consider AP diagnosis and evaluation in patients on statins presenting with abdominal pain.