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Lipemic serum in hyperlipidemic pancreatitis
Konstantinos Michalakis1, Eleni Basiakou, Theodoros Xanthos
1NIH, Endocrine Department, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. kostismichalakis@hotmail.com
Cases Journal
|December 1, 2009
Summary
A man experienced severe abdominal pain and vomiting after a heavy meal. Diagnostic tests revealed extremely high triglyceride levels, confirming acute pancreatitis.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Internal Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- A 37-year-old male presented with acute onset of diffuse abdominal pain and persistent vomiting.
- Symptoms began six hours prior to emergency department arrival.
- No signs of peritonitis were observed on physical examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of acute pancreatitis.
- To highlight the diagnostic findings in a patient with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
Main Methods:
- Clinical presentation and physical examination.
- Routine laboratory investigations including complete blood count, glucose, and amylase levels.
- Lipid profile analysis and abdominal computed tomography (CT).
Main Results:
- Laboratory results showed leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, and significantly elevated serum amylase (380 mg/dl) and urinary amylase (1150 mg/dl).
- Lipid profile revealed extremely high triglyceride levels (4800 mg/dl) and cholesterol (1009 mg/dl), resulting in lipemic serum.
- Abdominal CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatitis.
Conclusions:
- Severe hypertriglyceridemia is a critical factor in the etiology of acute pancreatitis.
- Prompt diagnosis and management are essential in cases of acute pancreatitis.
- This case underscores the importance of lipid profile assessment in patients presenting with acute pancreatitis.
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